Attention bias in adults with anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Franklin R. Schneier^a ; ^b ; ¹ ; ^{fschneier@nyspi.columbia.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Marcia B. Kimeldorf^a ; Tse Hwei Choo^b ; Joanna E. Steinglass^a ; ^b ; Melanie M. Wall^b ; Abby J. Fyer^a ; ^b ; ¹ ; H. Blair Simpson^a ; ^b ; ¹
• 关键词：Attention bias ; Threat bias ; Dot probe ; Social anxiety disorder ; Obsessive compulsive disorder ; Anorexia nervosa
• 刊名：Journal of Psychiatric Research
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：August 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：79
• 期：Complete
• 页码：61-69
• 全文大小：550 K

文摘

Attention bias to threat (selective attention toward threatening stimuli) has been frequently found in anxiety disorder samples, but its distribution both within and beyond this category is unclear. Attention bias has been studied extensively in social anxiety disorder (SAD) but relatively little in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), historically considered an anxiety disorder, or anorexia nervosa (AN), which is often characterized by interpersonal as well as body image/eating fears.

Methods

Medication-free adults with SAD (n = 43), OCD (n = 50), or AN (n = 30), and healthy control volunteers (HC, n = 74) were evaluated for attention bias with an established dot probe task presenting images of angry and neutral faces. Additional outcomes included attention bias variability (ABV), which summarizes fluctuation in attention between vigilance and avoidance, and has been reported to have superior reliability. We hypothesized that attention bias would be elevated in SAD and associated with SAD severity.

Results

Attention bias in each disorder did not differ from HC, but within the SAD group attention bias correlated significantly with severity of social avoidance. ABV was significantly lower in OCD versus HC, and it correlated positively with severity of OCD symptoms within the OCD group.

Conclusions

Findings do not support differences from HC in attention bias to threat faces for SAD, OCD, or AN. Within the SAD sample, the association of attention bias with severity of social avoidance is consistent with evidence that attention bias moderates development of social withdrawal. The association of ABV with OCD diagnosis and severity is novel and deserves further study.