Body checking as a behavioral link: A preliminary study assessing inhibition and its association to idiosyncratic body checking in anorexia nervosa

Body checking (BC) is a behavioral feature of anorexia nervosa (AN), which is also present in obsessive–compulsive (OC) disorders. This study assessed whether increased body checking in AN patients correlated with deficits in cognitive inhibition. A battery of neuropsychological tests (the Ravello Profile), OC disorder measures, and the Body Checking Questionnaire (BCQ) were administered to nine adolescent females being treated for AN at an in-patient hospital in Scotland, UK. Neuropsychological measures were assessed using composite variables. Body Checking prevalence was split into high and low category to compare across groups. A negative relationship between cognitive inhibition and idiosyncratic body checking was evident. Clinically, increased body-checking symptoms were related to OC symptoms. These findings provide preliminary evidence that idiosyncratic body checking in AN patients may indicate a similar neuropsychological profile found in those with checking behaviors in OCD patients. •Evidence for a relationship between idiosyncratic body checking and deficits in cognitive inhibition in AN.•Behavioral linkage between AN neuropsychological profiles and OCD neuropsychological profiles.•Confirms previous literature showing that patients with AN have difficulty with executive function.