Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder which is characterized by a complex and variable symptomatology. Among the various neuropsychological processes associated with this psychopathology, the literature reports alterations related to risk propensity and interoceptive processes. Through two experimental hypotheses, in this present study was investigated the role of these two processes in the etiopathogenesis and maintenance of anorexia nervosa. According to the first hypothesis, based on the observations that anorexia nervosa is characterized by defective processing of bodily stimuli, people with anorexia nervosa would risk more in the presence of a salient bodily stimulus than with a neutral stimulus. The second hypothesis predicts that subjects with anorexia nervosa, unlike healthy subjects, have an impaired relationship between decision-making and interoceptive processes. To test these hypotheses, a total sample of eighty subjects was recruited, of whom forty formed the clinical sample consisting of subjects with anorexia nervosa, while the other forty subjects formed the control group. In addition, both of these groups, were in turn divided into two subgroups each, one of which performed the risk propensity task with neutral stimulus (Balloon Analogue Risk Task; BART) while the other subgroup performed it by means of a modified version of the BART, in which the neutral stimulus of the balloon was replaced by the silhouette of a body. The results of the present study seem to confirm both hypothesis. Consistent with the first hypothesis, in fact, the analyses report that subjects with anorexia nervosa show a higher risk propensity in the presence of a body stimulus, compared to the neutral stimulus. Furthermore, it has been observed, confirming the second hypothesis, that in subjects with anorexia nervosa the relationship between interoception and decision-making processes shows alterations compared to the pattern present in healthy control subjects.
L’anoressia nervosa è un disturbo del comportamento alimentare ed è caratterizzata da una sintomatologia complessa e variabile. Tra i diversi processi neuropsicologici associati a questa psicopatologia, la letteratura riporta alterazioni relative alla propensione al rischio e ai processi interocettivi. Nel presente studio, attraverso due ipotesi sperimentali, è stato indagato il ruolo di questi due processi nell’eziopatogenesi e mantenimento dell’anoressia nervosa. Secondo la prima ipotesi, basata sulle osservazioni per cui l’anoressia nervosa è caratterizzata da un’elaborazione difettosa degli stimoli corporei, le persone affette da anoressia nervosa rischierebbero maggiormente in presenza di uno stimolo saliente corporeo rispetto ad uno stimolo neutro. La seconda ipotesi prevede che i soggetti affetti da anoressia nervosa, a differenza dei soggetti sani, presentino un’alterazione della relazione tra processi decisionali e interocettivi. Per verificare queste ipotesi è stato reclutato un campione totale di ottanta soggetti, di cui quaranta hanno formato il campione clinico composto da soggetti affetti da anoressia nervosa, mentre gli altri quaranta soggetti hanno formato il gruppo di controllo. Inoltre, entrambi questi gruppi, sono stati a loro volta suddivisi in due sottogruppi ciascuno, uno dei quali ha svolto il compito relativo alla propensione al rischio con stimolo neutro (Balloon Analogue Risk Task; BART) mentre l’altro sottogruppo l’ha svolto mediante una versione modificata del BART, in cui lo stimolo neutro del palloncino è stato sostituito dalla silhouette di un corpo. I risultati del presente studio sembrano confermare entrambe le ipotesi. Coerentemente con la prima ipotesi, infatti, le analisi riportano che i soggetti affetti da anoressia nervosa mostrano una maggiore propensione al rischio in presenza di uno stimolo corporeo, rispetto allo stimolo neutro. Inoltre è stato osservato, a conferma della seconda ipotesi, che nei soggetti affetti da anoressia nervosa il rapporto tra interocezione e processi decisionali presenta delle alterazioni rispetto al pattern che si osserva nei soggetti sani.
Rischiare con il corpo: processi decisionali in persone affette da Anoressia Nervosa
BROGI, ELISA
2021/2022
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder which is characterized by a complex and variable symptomatology. Among the various neuropsychological processes associated with this psychopathology, the literature reports alterations related to risk propensity and interoceptive processes. Through two experimental hypotheses, in this present study was investigated the role of these two processes in the etiopathogenesis and maintenance of anorexia nervosa. According to the first hypothesis, based on the observations that anorexia nervosa is characterized by defective processing of bodily stimuli, people with anorexia nervosa would risk more in the presence of a salient bodily stimulus than with a neutral stimulus. The second hypothesis predicts that subjects with anorexia nervosa, unlike healthy subjects, have an impaired relationship between decision-making and interoceptive processes. To test these hypotheses, a total sample of eighty subjects was recruited, of whom forty formed the clinical sample consisting of subjects with anorexia nervosa, while the other forty subjects formed the control group. In addition, both of these groups, were in turn divided into two subgroups each, one of which performed the risk propensity task with neutral stimulus (Balloon Analogue Risk Task; BART) while the other subgroup performed it by means of a modified version of the BART, in which the neutral stimulus of the balloon was replaced by the silhouette of a body. The results of the present study seem to confirm both hypothesis. Consistent with the first hypothesis, in fact, the analyses report that subjects with anorexia nervosa show a higher risk propensity in the presence of a body stimulus, compared to the neutral stimulus. Furthermore, it has been observed, confirming the second hypothesis, that in subjects with anorexia nervosa the relationship between interoception and decision-making processes shows alterations compared to the pattern present in healthy control subjects.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/2177