Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been inconsistently associated with impaired decision-making. Several methodological issues may underlie these discrepancies such as comorbid conditions or the assessment of this complex cognitive function with a single test.

Sixty-eight adult women suffering from AN and 49 female controls were included. All completed a clinical assessment and a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing specific aspect of decision-making [IGT, Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task (PRLT) and Brixton Test].

People with AN had poorer performance on the IGT and Brixton task, compared to controls. In addition, the AN group made less risky choices on the BART. Performances were similar on PRLT. Of importance, AN patients with a current major depressive disorder showed similar results to those with no current major depressive disorder.

These results suggest broad impaired decision making-process in people with AN characterized by inhibition in risk-taking and mismanagement of uncertainty. These impairments seem not related to mood