Incidence and weight trajectories of binge eating disorder among young women in the community.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the population prevalence and incidence of binge eating disorder (BED) among young women. METHOD: In a nationwide longitudinal study of Finnish twins born 1975-1979, the women participated in five surveys from age 16 until their mid-thirties. At Wave 4 (mean age 24 years), the women (N = 2,825) underwent a 2-stage screening for eating disorders. We assessed the lifetime prevalence, incidence, and clinical characteristics of DSM-5 BED. RESULTS: We detected 16 women who met DSM-5 criteria for BED, yielding a lifetime prevalence of 0.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4-1.2%). The incidence of BED among women between 10 and 24 years of age was 35 (95% CI 20-60) per 100,000 person-years. The mean age of onset of BED was 19 years (range 13-27 years). Of the cases, 13/16 (81%) were currently ill. Duration of illness at the time of assessment ranged from less than a year to 13 years (median 6 years). Of women with BED, only two had a history of other eating disorders, but six had lifetime major depressive disorder. Two-thirds of the women with BED belonged to the highest weight quartile at age 16, and their mean BMI at age 22-27 year was 26.2 kg/m(2) (range 22.1-32.5 kg/m(2)). DISCUSSION: Incident BED as defined by DSM-5 was relatively rare among younger women and was often preceded by relative overweight. BED often occurred without a history of other eating disorders, but comorbidity with major depressive disorder was common.

Priming does not enhance the efficacy of 1 Hertz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of auditory verbal hallucinations: results of a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the left temporoparietal area (TP) has been investigated as a treatment method for auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) yielding inconsistent results. In vitro studies have indicated that the effects of low-frequency rTMS can be enhanced by a brief pretreatment phase consisting of high-frequency rTMS (i.e., priming rTMS). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this single-blind, randomized controlled study was to investigate whether the effects of rTMS on AVH can be enhanced with priming rTMS. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with medication-resistant AVH were randomized over two groups: one receiving low-frequency rTMS preceded by 5 minutes of 6 Hertz rTMS; and another receiving low-frequency rTMS without priming. Both treatments were directed at the left TP. The total duration of stimulation was equal in the two groups, namely, 15 sessions of 20 minutes each. The severity of AVH and other psychotic features were measured with the aid of the Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS). RESULTS: The severity of AVH and other psychotic symptoms in the group with priming was not significantly lower after 3 weeks of treatment in comparison to baseline. The group treated with standard rTMS showed a trend toward improvement after 3 weeks of treatment. No significant differences were observed on any of the rating scales between the group with and without priming. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not provide evidence that priming rTMS is an effective treatment for AVH.

[Hallucinations attributed to djinns]. / Hallucinaties toegedicht aan djinns.

Individuals with an Islamic background who suffer from hallucinations often attribute these to djinns, invisible beings. The treatment of these hallucinations is complicated by the patients' reluctance to discuss them, and by their doubts concerning the usefulness of a biomedical treatment for a problem which they experience as metaphysical in nature. In this clinical lesson, we present case studies of three Moroccan patients who attributed their hallucinations to djinns. The first was a 30-year-old factory worker whose compulsive complaints had started when he saw a white figure in the basement who asked him 'What are you doing here?' The psychiatric diagnosis was obsessive-compulsive disorder. The patient was prescribed cognitive behavioural therapy, an SSRI and a consultation by the imam, but he refused. The second patient was a 25-year-old unemployed man, who had auditory hallucinations, delusions, behavioural problems, and alcohol and cannabis abuse. He heard voices which he attributed to maleficent djinns. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but his compliance with antipsychotics was insufficient. The imam who was consulted reassured him that his complaints were not caused by djinns. After prolonged treatment with clozapine and cutting down on cannabis use the patient recovered sufficiently to be discharged. The third patient was a 26-year-old unemployed woman who was hearing voices that her imam thought were caused by a djinn. She was examined because of serious self-mutilation and was diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder. Treatment with an antipsychotic, lithium and valproic acid and a consultation by a second imam, who found no signs of evidence of djinns, was successful. We recommend to ask individuals with an Islamic background specifically whether djinns might be involved, especially in cases of mental problems and unexplained symptoms, and to seek the cooperation of a qualified imam or traditional healer for treatment purposes.

Incidence, prevalence and mortality of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the recent literature on the incidence and prevalence of and mortality associated with eating disorders. RECENT FINDINGS: General-practice studies show that the overall incidence rates of anorexia nervosa remained stable during the 1990s, compared with the 1980s. Some evidence suggests that the occurrence of bulimia nervosa is decreasing. Anorexia nervosa is a common disorder among young white females, but is extremely rare among black females. Recent studies confirm previous findings of the high mortality rate within the anorexia nervosa population. SUMMARY: The incidence of anorexia nervosa is around eight per 100,000 persons per year. An upward trend has been observed in the incidence of anorexia nervosa in the past century till the 1970s. The most substantial increase was among females aged 15-24 years, for whom a significant increase was observed from 1935 to 1999. The average prevalence rates for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa among young females are 0.3 and 1%, respectively. Only a minority of people with eating disorders, especially with bulimia nervosa, are treated in mental healthcare.

Incidence of severe anorexia nervosa in Switzerland: 40 years of development.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the development of the incidence of severe anorexia nervosa with five sampling periods covering the years 1956-1995 in a geographically defined region of Switzerland. METHOD: Applying the same methodology as in the earlier sampling periods, the medical records of all hospitals of the canton of Zurich were screened manually for first-time hospitalizations of female anorexia nervosa patients during the years 1993-1995. Incidence rates were compared with the previous sampling period (1956-1985). RESULTS: The incidence rate of severe anorexia nervosa in the total population and the rate in the population at risk (females 12-25 years old) did not differ significantly from the incidence rates of 1983-1985. DISCUSSION: The incidence of severe anorexia nervosa in the canton of Zurich rose significantly during the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, the incidence appears to have reached a plateau.

Stability of personality traits in patients who received intensive treatment for a severe eating disorder.

A longitudinal prospective design with four assessments was used to examine the stability of personality traits and their relation to recovery in patients with restrictive anorexia nervosa (N=35), bingeing/purging anorexia nervosa (N=37), bulimia nervosa (N=47), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (N=27). Recovery is associated with changes in personality traits in the direction of healthy control women. Recovered patients still show higher harm avoidance and higher persistence than healthy control women. These temperament factors seem to be a vulnerability factor for developing an eating disorder. Novelty seeking seems to define the type of eating disorder one is prone to develop. The character dimensions contribute the most to recovery. High self-directedness contributes to a favorable prognosis of bulimic symptomatology, whereas high cooperativeness contributes to an unfavorable prognosis in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Review of the prevalence and incidence of eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on the incidence and prevalence of eating disorders. METHODS: We searched Medline using several key terms relating to epidemiology and eating disorders and we checked the reference lists of the articles that we found. Special attention has been paid to methodologic problems affecting the selection of populations under study and the identification of cases. RESULTS: An average prevalence rate for anorexia nervosa of 0.3% was found for young females. The prevalence rates for bulimia nervosa were 1% and 0.1% for young women and young men, respectively. The estimated prevalence of binge eating disorder is at least 1%. The incidence of anorexia nervosa is 8 cases per 100,000 population per year and the incidence of bulimia nervosa is 12 cases per 100,000 population per year. The incidence of anorexia nervosa increased over the past century, until the 1970s. DISCUSSION: Only a minority of people who meet stringent diagnostic criteria for eating disorders are seen in mental health care.