Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung bei Bulimia nervosa: Häufigkeit, neuropsychologische Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede

Patients suffering from Bulimia nervosa quite often show symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the present study inpatients with bulimic eating disorder were assessed in detail for the presence of ADHD symptoms. Bulimic patients and a healthy control group were compared regarding several attention variables. Neuropsychological tests were used to investigate components of attention that are often disturbed in patients suffering from ADHD and which may also be important concerning the control of eating behavior. In addition, the study assessed the presence of axis I and II disorders. The study found that women with bulimia nervosa were about twice as likely to suffer from ADHD compared to women from the general population. Additionally, many patients with bulimia nervosa suffered during their eating disorder from attention deficits which were comparable to ADHD on a symptomatic level. The neuropsychological performance of patients did not differ significantly from healthy controls. A particularly high incidence of ADHD among patients with comorbid borderline personality disorder raises the question whether the increased rate of ADHD in bulimia nervosa patients is due to the comorbidity of borderline personality disorder. Future research should investigate in more detail whether the urgency to act impulsively when negative emotions are experienced is a common risk factor for all three disorders or whether it links them in a specific way.