Ecological Momentary Assessment of Anorexia Nervosa

描述（由申请人提供）：神经性厌食症（AN）是一种严重的慢性精神疾病，具有很高的并发症可能性和高死亡率。对AN的危险因素知之甚少，对维持这种疾病和促进潜在慢性的因素所知更少。最近，人们对认知情绪因素在这种疾病的维持功能中所起的作用越来越感兴趣。在具有高度负面影响的个体中，厌食行为可能有助于减少焦虑和其他负面情绪状态，从而消极地强化症状。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，但这些变量与每日或瞬时厌食症症状之间的关系知之甚少。大多数关于AN的精神病理学和病理生理学的研究都依赖于横断面设计，对感兴趣的变量进行回顾性回忆。有充分的证据表明，情绪变量的回顾性回忆可能会严重扭曲，从而危及情绪饮食失调行为关系研究的有效性。研究设计需要允许对维持变量和厌食症症状的关系进行前瞻性纵向评估。此外，还需要进一步研究应激环境刺激、情绪和认知变量与厌食行为之间的瞬时关系。生态瞬时评估（EMA）是一种研究方法，它依赖于每天对受试者进行多次评估，持续数天至数周，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计算机收集数据，该计算机可以立即评估受试者自然环境中的相关变量，并具有电子保障措施，以确保在指定时间收集数据。EMA方法将是理解环境和厌食症行为之间关系的极好方法，以及认知和情绪变量等心理中介。

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.