The Embodied Cognition: Exploratory Study of Automatic and Controlled Processes in Anorexia Nervosa.

The Embodied Cognition: Exploratory Study of Automatic and Controlled Processes in Anorexia Nervosa. A Monocentric Study

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a common psychiatric illness, with severe prognosis (5% mortality) that has changed little over in half a century. One of the forms is the restrictive anorexia nervosa (ANR). It consists of a phobia of weight gain and food with a massive food restriction. This pathology is studied in psychology but not using the theories of embodied cognition in which "perception and action" interact through sensorimotor processes. They are the source of attitudes (unconscious) towards certain stimuli and influence our interpretation (conscious).

The investigators hypothesis is that food restriction behavior is the result of two processes. One automatic and not conscious, which is an attraction toward food and manifests itself in the motivational attitudes of approach, and the other controlled and conscious, which prevents attraction to this type of stimuli and is manifested by motivational attitudes avoidance. These processes of attraction and avoidance are observed in embodied cognition paradigms because the answers induce movement of approach or avoidance of stimuli. The validation of these assumptions could lead to reconsideration of the respective roles of automatic and controlled processes in food behaviors of anorexics patients and to complete or refocus psychological techniques of care.

Inclusion Criteria for patients:

• Restrictive anorexia nervosa according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Text Revision (DSM IV-TR)
• BMI> 16 to avoid the effects of undernutrition
• Start disorders <10 years
• Right handed
• Having given free and informed consent prior to study participation
• Subject affiliated to the French National Health Insurance

Inclusion Criteria for control group:

• BMI between 18,5 and 25
• Right handed
• Of school level paired in that of the patients (+/-1 the year)
• Having given free and informed consent prior to study participation
• Subject affiliated to the French National Health Insurance

Exclusion Criteria for patients and control group:

• Patients with at the beginning or during the study form of purgative anorexia nervosa
• Control with disorders of current or past eating behavior.
• Control making a restrictive diet during the study period
• Participants with depressive table
• Participants with a somatic problem restricted movement or a problem of uncorrected visual acuity annoying reading of the screen.