OBJETIVO: O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar as funções executivas de indivíduos obesos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica. MÉTODO: Trinta e oito indivíduos obesos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica foram comparados com 38 controles obesos sem transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica em termos de suas funções executivas. Todos os indivíduos foram avaliados utilizando os seguintes instrumentos: Digit Span, Trail Making Tests A e B, Stroop Test e Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Adicionalmente, quatro subtestes da Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome Battery foram também utilizados, a saber: Zoo Map Test, Modified Six Elements Test, Action Program Test e The Rule Shift Cards Test. RESULTADOS: Quando comparados a controles obesos, indivíduos obesos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica apresentaram déficits significativos no Digit Span Backward, Zoo Map Test, Modified Six Elements Test e no Action Program Test. Os indivíduos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica também apresentaram significativamente mais erros perseverativos e de mudança de set no Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Em outras medidas, tais como Digit Span Forward, Trail Making Test, Stroop Test e The Rule Shift Cards Test, os indivíduos obesos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica não diferiram significativamente dos obesos sem transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica. CONCLUSÃO: Esses resultados sugerem que, neste estudo, os indivíduos obesos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica apresentaram déficits executivos evidenciados por dificuldades na capacidade para resolução de problemas, na flexibilidade cognitiva e na memória operacional.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess executive functions of obese individuals with binge eating disorder. METHOD: Thirty-eight obese individuals with binge eating disorder were compared to thirty-eight obese controls without binge eating disorder in terms of their executive functions. All individuals were assessed using the following instruments: Digit Span, Trail Making Tests A and B, Stroop Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. In addition, four subtests from the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome Battery were also used, namely the Zoo Map Test, the Modified Six Elements Test, the Action Program Test and the Rule Shift Cards Test. RESULTS: When compared to obese controls, obese individuals with binge eating disorder presented significant impairment in the following tests: Digit Span backward, Zoo Map Test, Modified Six Elements Test, and Action Program Test. Subjects with binge eating disorder also showed significant more set shifting and perseverative errors in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. In other measures such as the Digit Span Forward, the Trail Making Test, the Stroop Test and the Rule Shift Cards Test, obese subjects with binge eating disorder did not differ significantly from obese subjects without binge eating disorder. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, in the present sample, obese individuals with binge eating disorder presented executive deficits, especially impairments relating to problem-solving, cognitive flexibility and working memory.