Childhood-onset Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive-compulsive Disorder in a Male Adolescent Patient: Profile of Neurocognitive Functioning

Background. Impairments of neurocognitive performance in female pa tients with anorexia nervosa have been reported in many studies. To our know ledge neuropsychological studies of male eating disorder patients remain rare. The goals of our study were to present the profile of neurocognitive functioning in a male adolescent anorexia nervosa patient and, given that the clinical manifestation of both eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder presents strong psychopathological similarities, to determine how neurocognitive performance could be associated with the patient's obsessivecompulsive disorder symptoms. Material and methods. A male adolescent anorexia nervosa patient who satisfied DSM-IV diagnostic criteria participated in the study. A battery of neuropsychological assessment methods was used, including the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, subtest for long-term memory of the Choynowski Memory Scale, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, the Benton Visual Retention Test, the Diagnosis of Brain Damage battery, the Trail Making Test, parts A and B. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was also used. Longitudinal neurocognitive data are presented from an inpatient neuropsychological assessment conducted at ages 13 and 18. CHILDHOOD-ONSET ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER IN A MALE ADOLESCENT PATIENT: PROFILE OF NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTIONING