REDUCED SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND DYSFUNCTIONAL METACOGNITION IN PATIENTS WITH ANOREXIA NERVOSA: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

The present study explored the association between some psychological symptoms related to worry, metacognition, and autonomic activity, in a group of 13 patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) as compared to 13 healthy controls (HCs). Specifically, trait and state anxiety, obsessivecompulsive symptoms and metacognitive beliefs were assessed through self-report questionnaires. Heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC), as representative measures of autonomic activation, were recorded at rest. Patients with AN reported significantly higher anxiety, obsessivecompulsive symptoms and maladaptive metacognitions than HCs. Further, patients showed significantly lower skin conductance level (SCL) and HR than HCs, pointing to an overall autonomic hypo-activation, which was in contrast with psychological symptoms. A significant correlation was observed between HR, but not SCL, and body mass index (BMI) in patients, suggesting that autonomic hypo- activation could only partially be ascribed to the reduced body weight, as measured through BMI. Remarkably, a significant negative correlation was found between patients' SCL and a metacognitive dimension (i.e., the negative beliefs concerning the consequences of not controlling thoughts), which may have critical implications for AN treatment.