Social and emotional processing as a behavioural endophenotype in eating disorders: A pilot investigation in twins

Abstract

Objectives Emotional processing difficulties are potential risk markers for eating disorders that are also present after recovery. The aim of this study was to examine these traits in twins with eating disorders. Methods: The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, Emotional Stroop task and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were administered to 112 twins with and without eating disorders (DSM IV-TR eating disorder criteria). Generalised estimating equations compared twins with eating disorders against unaffected co-twins and control twins, and within-pair correlations were calculated for clinical monozygotic (n = 50) and dizygotic twins (n = 20). Results: Emotion recognition difficulti..