M.Sc. / Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a debilitating psychiatric illness characterised by a morbid fear of weight gain and/or of eating, despite obvious emaciation. Poor understanding of the aetiology and pathophysiology of AN has, however, hindered the development of effective interventions. Nonetheless, over the past decade, neurocognitive endophenotypes have been increasingly researched as promissory, clinically-relevant and heritable characteristics which might predispose the development and persistence of AN, the elucidation of which might well lead to improved treatment strategies. In particular, mental inflexibility, which can be measured on set-shifting (SS) tasks, is frequently reported in subjects with AN, and is believed to reflect underlying subtle dysfunction of corticostriatal brain circuitry. This study investigated whether SS difficulties were present in a sample of South African anorectics. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was used to measure SS ability in 10 young women with current AN, and in 10 matched healthy controls (HC). This study also measured eating-related psychopathology, Body Mass Index (BMI), and depressive, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptomatologies, and obtained as well an estimate of intelligence, in case these factors might independently influence WCST performance. Contrary to prediction, anorectics performed significantly better on the WCST than did individuals from the HC group, making a smaller number of incorrect responses and proportionately fewer perseverative errors. Controlling statistically for the aforementioned potentially-confounding variables did not change these results. This is the first study to have shown superior SS performance in an AN group, and suggests that SS might be intact, or adequately compensated for, in younger, less-severely affected patients with a concomitantly shorter illness duration. Further studies, on larger samples of similarly-aged anorectics, with less severe pathology and shorter illness duration, are necessary to explore the generalizability and implications of this unexpected finding.

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / The aim of this study was to determine whether a group of patients with anorexia nervosa would differ from a group of well-adjusted adolescent girls in terms of certain personality traits. In a survey of the literature the general symptoms, incidence, treatment methods and prognoses were discussed. Anorexia nervosa was found to be a complex syndrome consisting of many physical and psychological symptoms. Integrated treatment methods were found to produce the best results, although the prognosis was found to be relatively poor. The background factors were discussed, with special emphasis on the family background and premorbid personality factors. In a discussion of the etiology, the psychodynamic approach was stressed. The traditional psycho-analytical theories were discussed initially, followed by a more detailed discussion of the control theory. The premise of this theory is that the anorexia nervosa patient ceases to eat in an effort to obtain control over her own body as well as her environment. Due to a lack of comparative empirical studies, it was decided to utilize the Rorschach test to compare eleven patients with anorexia nervosa with eleven well-adjusted adolescent girls with regard to certain psycho-dynamic characteristics...

Aspects of the ecological systemic approach were used to provide a framework for the understanding of the dynamics of anorexia nervosa and were empirically tested by comparing 30 anorexics and their parents to 34 matched control subjects and their parents. The theoretical model employed was an adaptation of Conger's Ecological-Systems approach which was based on the principles of Bronfenbrennei's theory of human development. The subjects were compared on selected variables arising from the individual, parent, family, and community systems using: 1) the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), 2) the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB), 3) the Family Environment Scale (FES), and 4) the Pattison Psychosocial Inventory (PPI). Statistical analysis of the difference between means was tested using Hotelling's (T²) procedure followed by a discriminant analysis. The final analysis occured using a Stepwise Discriminant procedure. The results of the stepwise analysis revealed that the Affiliation score (SASB) for the anorexics and the control subjects and the Psychopathic Deviancy score (CPI-Clinical) of the mothers of the anorexics and the controls were the variables which contributed to the discriminant analysis. With the Affiliation and the Psychopathic Deviancy scores alone, it was possible to correctly classify 87.5% of the research subjects. Analyses also showed statistically significant results at the individual, parent, and family levels. Specifically, the anorexic daughters were found to have a negative self-worth as measured by the SASB. They were also more anxious and at odds with themselves and others (CPI). The anorexics were more depressed than the controls, had a greater tendency toward rebelliousness and hostility toward authority, and expressed their feelings in a more indirect manner. The anorexics may use ritualistic thoughts and actions in an attempt to structure their lives to overcome their feelings of losing control. They lack a sense of who they are emotionally and generally feel alienated and lonely as if on the outside looking in. The CPI-Psychopathic Deviancy scale was significantly higher for the mothers of the anorexics than for the controls. No differences were found between the two groups of fathers. Interactions within the family, as perceived by the anorexics, were characterized by overprotection and control by the mothers while the anorexics responded with significantly less affiliation to both their mothers and their fathers. The mothers of the anorexics also viewed their daughters as being less friendly in the relationship. There were no significant findings regarding the perceptions of the fathers of the anorexics and the controls. The families of the anorexics were less supportive, helpful and committed to each other than were the families of the control subjects as measured by the FES. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This psychoanalytically informed research project combines three theoretical trajectories together with illustrative clinical material to present an exploration of anorexia through a particular conceptual lens. The three theoretical areas are synthesised in an original way through the ideas and arguments presented in the thesis. The theory included: contemporary understandings of eating disorders; contemporary Kleinian literature on pathological organisations and psychic retreats (Steiner, 1982; 1987; 1992; 1993; 2011); and literature on autistic-like (autistoid) defences in non-autistic adults (S. Klein, 1980; Tustin, 1972; 1973; 1978; 1981; 1986; 1991). The research aimed to interrogate and explicate the relationship between pathological organisations of personality structure in anorexia, using case studies and vignettes to illustrate and elaborate the arguments. There was also some consideration of other types of eating disorder, similarly conceptualised. Case material from clinical work as a psychoanalytically informed psychotherapist was used as data in all but one case, in the latter instance interview material being used. The body of the thesis was structured in the form of four journal articles.

Zugl.: Diplomarbeit.

Thesis (M A(Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Dissertation (MHSc--Health Science) -- AUT University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print ( 67 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 616.8526 RUA)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract, often associated with reduced food intake (anorexia) and weight loss. The anorexia manifest following gastrointestinal inflammation can only be expressed if appropriate signals are communicated from the inflamed segment to the brain. Yet, the nature of these signals, and the identity of the brain sites processing these anorexigenic signals, are unknown. The present experiment evaluates the contribution of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a brain site rich in corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptors and known to be involved in the control of food intake, in the anorexia associated with experimental colitis. Colitis was induced, by trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNB) treatment, in animals in which the PVN was ablated or in rats with sham brain surgeries. Results indicated clearly that the expression of the anorexia following TNB treatment is fully expressed even in the absence of the PVN. This result indicates that the integrity of the PVN is not necessary for the reduction of eating associated with intestinal inflammation, thus suggesting that CRF is also not critical to colitis-induced anorexia. inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); feeding; anorexia; gut-brain communication; paraventricular nucleus (PVN); interleukin-1 (IL-l); corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF); neuroimmunology / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Lisa Eckel, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 7, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.