Ecological Momentary Assessment of Anorexia Nervosa

描述(申请人提供)：神经性厌食症(AN)是一种严重的、通常是慢性的精神疾病，具有很高的医疗并发症和高死亡率。人们对AN的风险因素知之甚少，对维持这种疾病和促进潜在慢性化的因素更是知之甚少。最近，人们对认知-情绪因素在这种疾病的维持功能中的作用越来越感兴趣。在有高度负面情绪的人中，厌食症行为可能有助于减轻焦虑和其他负面情绪状态，这会负面地强化症状。虽然认知-情绪变量可能在AN的发生和维持中发挥重要作用，但对于这些变量与日常或瞬间厌食症状之间的关系知之甚少。大多数对AN的精神病理学和病理生理学的研究依赖于回顾感兴趣变量的横断面设计。有充分的证据表明，对情绪变量的回顾可能会严重扭曲，从而危及情绪进食障碍行为关系研究的有效性。需要能够对维持变量和厌食症状的关系进行前瞻性纵向评估的研究设计。此外，还需要研究来更好地理解应激性环境刺激、情绪和认知变量以及厌食症行为之间的瞬时关系。生态瞬时评估(EMA)是一种研究方法，它依赖于在几天到几周的时间里每天对受试者进行多次评估，以便更清楚地了解环境事件、心理结构和行为之间的瞬时关系。此外，现在可以通过应用Palm Top计算机进行数据收集，该计算机可以立即评估受试者自然环境中的相关变量，并有电子保障措施，以确保在指定的时间收集数据。EMA方法论将是理解环境和厌食行为之间的关系以及认知和情感变量等心理中介之间关系的极好方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and often chronic psychiatric disorder with a high likelihood of medical complications and a high mortality rate. Very little is known about risk factors for AN and even less is known about factors which serve to maintain the disorder and promote potential chronicity. Recently there has been an increased interest in the role of cognitive-emotional factors, in the maintenance function of this disorder. In individuals with high degrees of negative affect, anorexic behaviors may serve to reduce anxiety and other negative mood states, which negatively reinforce the symptoms. While cognitive-emotional variables may play a significant role in the onset and maintenance of AN, very little is known about the relationship between these variables and anorexic symptoms on a daily, or momentary basis. Most studies of the psychopathology and pathophysiology of AN rely on cross-sectional designs with retrospective recall of variables of interest. It is well documented that retrospective recall of mood variables can be severely distorted, thus risking the validity of studies of mood-eating disorder behavior relationships. Research designs are needed which allow a prospective longitudinal assessment of the relationship of maintenance variables and anorexic symptoms. Furthermore, research is needed to better understand the momentary relationship among stressful environmental stimuli, mood and cognitive variables, and anorexic behavior. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a research methodology that relies on assessing subjects several times per day for a period of several days to several weeks in order to gain a clearer understanding of the momentary relationship between environmental events, psychological constructs, and behaviors. Furthermore, data collection is now possible through the application of Palm Top computers which allows an immediate assessment of relevant variables in the subject's natural environment with electronic safeguards to ensure that data is collected at designated times. EMA methodology would be an excellent approach to understanding the relationship between environment and anorexic behavior, along with psychological mediators such as cognitive and emotional variables.