A case report and a psychometric assessment of therapeutic efficacy in reducing social cognition and neurocognition deficits in a patient with acute bulimia nervosa

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this paper was to present the effects of complex therapeutic interventions aimed to reduce the clinical manifestations and rehabilitation of social cognition and neurocognition deficits in a patient with acute bulimia nervosa, hospitalised in a 24-hour therapeutic department. Methods: The following tools were used to measure the severity of clinical manifestations: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). Cognitive functions were measured using the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Stroop Test and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF). The Faux Pas Test and selected tests from the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery (CNB) were used to assess social cognitive functions. Results: The obtained results and observations, which were based on patient's functioning during her stay in the department, indicate that the implemented therapeutic interventions contributed to a partial reduction in the severity of clinical symptoms. Although the cognitive functioning of the patient before hospital stay and after discharge remained at a similar level, a significant improvement was observed in social cognition.