Measuring cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test versus cued task-switching.

Dann, KM; Veldre, A; Miles, S; Sumner, P; Hay, P; Touyz, S

Measuring cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test versus cued task-switching.

Dann, KM Veldre, A

Miles, S Sumner, P Hay, P Touyz, S

Permalink

Publisher:: SPRINGER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Eat Weight Disord, 2023, 28, (1), pp. 60
Issue Date:: 2023-07-18

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Published versionAdobe PDF (847.09 kB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Dann, KM
dc.contributor.author	Veldre, A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0364-8502
dc.contributor.author	Miles, S
dc.contributor.author	Sumner, P
dc.contributor.author	Hay, P
dc.contributor.author	Touyz, S
dc.date.accessioned	2023-11-05T23:47:31Z
dc.date.available	2023-07-10
dc.date.available	2023-11-05T23:47:31Z
dc.date.issued	2023-07-18
dc.identifier.citation	Eat Weight Disord, 2023, 28, (1), pp. 60
dc.identifier.issn	1124-4909
dc.identifier.issn	1590-1262
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/172999
dc.description.abstract	PURPOSE: The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is the most common measure of cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN), but task-switching paradigms are beginning to be utilized. The current study directly compared performance on a cued task-switching measure and the WCST to evaluate their association in participants with a lifetime diagnosis of AN, and to assess which measure is more strongly associated with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Forty-five women with a lifetime diagnosis of AN completed the WCST, cued color-shape task-switching paradigm, Anti-saccade Keyboard Task, Running Memory Span, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales short form and Eating Disorder Flexibility Index. RESULTS: There was no evidence of a significant association between WCST perseverative errors and cued task-switching switch costs. Results suggest lower working memory capacity is a determinant of higher perseverative error rate. When controlling for mood variables, neither cognitive flexibility measure was a significant independent predictor of symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide support for previous suggestions that WCST perseverative errors could occur due to difficulties with working memory, sensitivity to feedback, and issues with concept formation. Cued task-switching paradigms may provide a useful measure of cognitive flexibility for future eating disorders research by reducing task-specific confounds. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Case-control analytic study.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	SPRINGER
dc.relation.ispartof	Eat Weight Disord
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s40519-023-01589-6
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1701 Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Clinical Psychology
dc.subject.classification	3202 Clinical sciences
dc.subject.classification	3210 Nutrition and dietetics
dc.subject.classification	5203 Clinical and health psychology
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
dc.subject.mesh	Anorexia Nervosa
dc.subject.mesh	Neuropsychological Tests
dc.subject.mesh	Memory, Short-Term
dc.subject.mesh	Cognition
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Cognition
dc.subject.mesh	Memory, Short-Term
dc.subject.mesh	Anorexia Nervosa
dc.subject.mesh	Neuropsychological Tests
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
dc.subject.mesh	Anorexia Nervosa
dc.subject.mesh	Neuropsychological Tests
dc.subject.mesh	Memory, Short-Term
dc.subject.mesh	Cognition
dc.title	Measuring cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test versus cued task-switching.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	28
utslib.location.activity	Germany
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-11-05T23:47:30Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	28
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

PURPOSE: The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is the most common measure of cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN), but task-switching paradigms are beginning to be utilized. The current study directly compared performance on a cued task-switching measure and the WCST to evaluate their association in participants with a lifetime diagnosis of AN, and to assess which measure is more strongly associated with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Forty-five women with a lifetime diagnosis of AN completed the WCST, cued color-shape task-switching paradigm, Anti-saccade Keyboard Task, Running Memory Span, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales short form and Eating Disorder Flexibility Index. RESULTS: There was no evidence of a significant association between WCST perseverative errors and cued task-switching switch costs. Results suggest lower working memory capacity is a determinant of higher perseverative error rate. When controlling for mood variables, neither cognitive flexibility measure was a significant independent predictor of symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide support for previous suggestions that WCST perseverative errors could occur due to difficulties with working memory, sensitivity to feedback, and issues with concept formation. Cued task-switching paradigms may provide a useful measure of cognitive flexibility for future eating disorders research by reducing task-specific confounds. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Case-control analytic study.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/172999