Semantic memory on verbal fluency test in patients with anorexia nervosa

Introduction. The aim of this study was to analyse the performance and the semantic organization of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and of healthy controls by means of a “Human Body Parts” type of (Semantic Verbal Fluency) SVF task. Method. A total of 58 participants took part in this study (23 suffered from anorexia nervosa, with a mean age of 21.32 ± 2.53, and 35 healthy participants, with a mean age of 22.41 ± 1.67). The Verbal Fluency Test “Human Body Parts” (a word naming task) was applied. In this task, participants were asked to say as many “Human Body Parts” as possible in a period of 1 minute. Participants were given the instruction not to repeat body parts already said. Responses were recorded and transcribed in order to be analysed. Results. The mean number of words for the control group was 15.94 ± 7.79 and in case of anorectic patients it was 17.52 ± 5.23. With respect to intrusions and perseverance there were not any significant differences, having obtained 0.10 (control group) and 0.11 (anorectic patients), and 0.42 (control group) and 0,46 (anorectic patients) respectively. With respect to correspondence analysis, a two-dimensional representation yielded 90.01% of the total inertia, thus accepting two-dimensional map as valid. “Perceptible parts of human body” and “Internal parts” would be representative of one category and “Small parts” would be representative of the other. In the anorectic patients group some parts such as waist, ass, thighs and calf muscle were the most remembered words. In the control group, internal parts such as brain, heart and liver, along with tongue, are the most remembered words in the semantic memory organization. Discussion. Semantic maps obtained in both groups of participants appear to be very different. Specifically, the semantic category “body parts” seems to be very influenced by the presence of anorexia nervosa. It is possible to conclude that studies on AN have reported controversial results in this field of study

Creencias sobre las causas de la obesidad y su relación con la restricción alimentaria y la percepción de la imagen corporal.

Recent studies provide evidence that beliefs about the causes of obesity may actually have an influence on eating habits. In this work we wanted to analyze the relationship that may exists between beliefs about obesity, dietary restraint and body image perception. For that purpose, 258 students of a High School and Occupational Training School in Seville (Spain) were recruited to conduct the study. According to our results, it was found that beliefs about obesity were positively related with dietary restraint and body image perception. Additionally, it was found that people high in beliefs about the controllability of the weight scored more in dietary restraint and body image perception than participants that did not believe that obesity was under personal control. No differences were found in Body Mass Index. Finally, it is suggested, according to the results that we found, that in order to be effective, public health campaigns may need to target people’s beliefs just as much as they target their behaviours.La literatura revisada pone de manifiesto que las creencias sobre las causas de la obesidad tienen una influencia sobre el comportamiento alimentario. En este trabajo queríamos analizar la relación que puede existir entre creencias sobre la obesidad, la restricción alimentaria y la percepción de la imagen corporal. Con ese objetivo, 258 estudiantes, tanto hombres como mujeres, de un Instituto y centro de Formación Profesional de Sevilla (España) fueron reclutados para hacer el estudio. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, se ha encontrado que las creencias sobre la obesidad estaban positivamente relacionadas con la restricción alimentaria y la percepción de la imagen corporal. Adicionalmente, se halló que la gente alta en creencias sobre la obesidad puntuaba más en restricción alimentaria y percepción de la imagen corporal que aquellos participantes que no creían que la obesidad estuviera bajo control personal. No se encontraron diferencias para el Índice de Masa Corporal. Finalmente se sugiere, en función de los resultados obtenidos, que para incrementar la efectividad de las campañas de salud sería necesario intervenir no solo sobre los comportamientos sino también sobre las creencias

Historical note about intestinal inflammatory disease from a psychosomatic perspective; on occasion of some letters related to Juan Ramón Jiménez

On occasion of two letters written by Zenobia in 1949 and 1955 in which the gastrointestinal alterations of Juan Ramon Jimenez are commented and a clinical report of the Presbyterian Hospital of San Juan de Puerto Rico in 1950, some considerations are made about Intestinal inflammatory disease and its possible relation with psychological diseases. Intestinal inflammatory disease and psychological alteration in Juan Ramon Jimenez were parallel along all his life. His recurrent depressions, his marked neurotical character, his phobic and hypochondriac fears, together with his tendency towards isolation are a constant in his biography and without doubt influential in his intestinal pathology

Eating Disorders - A Paradigm of the Biopsychosocial Model of Illness

Despite the relevance of eating disorders in the past years, the pure core of these mental disorders remains unknown. In this regard, it is not a surprise that the biopsychosocial model is the best way to go forward in order to understand and to improve the different approaches, biological (mainly neurobiological), psychological, and social, in managing these disorders. Eating disorders are frequent pathologies, many times severe and often devastating for patients and their families. Biological, psychological, and social factors are always involved in these disorders, and knowledge about the influence of these factors helps us to better understand eating disorders. This book includes different studies about main topics of eating disorders and is useful for psychologists, doctors and others interested in this disorder

Beliefs about obesity and their relationship with dietary restriction and body image perception

La literatura revisada pone de manifiesto que las creencias sobre las causas de la obesidad tienen una influencia sobre el comportamiento alimentario. En este trabajo queríamos analizar la relación que puede existir entre creencias sobre la obesidad, la restricción alimentaria y la percepción de la imagen corporal. Con ese objetivo, 258 estudiantes, tanto hombres como mujeres, de un Instituto y centro de Formación Profesional de Sevilla (España) fueron reclutados para hacer el estudio. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, se ha encontrado que las creencias sobre la obesidad estaban positivamente relacionadas con la restricción alimentaria y la percepción de la imagen corporal. Adicionalmente, se halló que la gente alta en creencias sobre la obesidad puntuaba más en restricción alimentaria y percepción de la imagen corporal que aquellos participantes que no creían que la obesidad estuviera bajo control personal. No se encontraron diferencia para el Índice de Masa Corporal. Finalmente se sugiere, en función de los resultados obtenidos, que para incrementar la efectividad de las campañas de salud sería necesario intervenir no solo sobre los comportamientos sino también sobre las creencias.The reviewed literature provides evidence that beliefs about the causes of obesity may actually have an influence on eating habits. In this work we wanted to analyze the relationship that may exists between beliefs about obesity, dietary restraint and body image perception. For that purpose 258 female and male students of a High School and Occupational Training School in Seville (Spain) were recruited to conduct the study. According to our results, it was found that beliefs about obesity were positively related with dietary restraint and body image perception. Additionally, it was found that people high in beliefs about the controllability of the weight scored more in dietary restraint and body image perception than participants that did not believe that obesity was under personal control. No differences were found in Body Mass Index. Finally, it is suggested, according to the results that we found, that in order to be effective, public health campaigns may need to target people’s beliefs just as much as they target their behaviours