At EDAC we are committed to making research accessible. Our Plain Speaking Summaries include plain language text on published papers and an interview with the authors. In this Plain Speaking Summary, Laurence Cobbaert introduced her paper that was published in 2024 and is interviewed by an Ellen Maloney, EDAC peer researcher. Laurence Cobbaert (she/they) is the Chair of Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia and a PhD candidate at the University of Recent South Wales in Sydney, Australia. They are neurodivergent and have lived experience of an eating disorder.

Paper Synopsis

The full paper can be found here.

Aims

Sensory processing involves exteroception, which relates to environmental stimuli such as noise, lights, or tastes, and interoception, which is about internal bodily signals such as thirst, hunger, or fullness. Both exteroception and interoception influence cognition (e.g., self-perception, emotional awareness and responsiveness, goal-directed behaviours, etc.). Some people, many of whom are neurodivergent (e.g., autistic, ADHD),



experience significant differences in sensory processing; for example, being either extremely sensitive or being much less sensitive than most people. Atypical patterns of sensory processing have been correlated with an increased risk of mental health distress and/or mental illness, including anxiety, issues with body image, and eating disorders. While there is growing evidence of this association, the underlying mechanisms linking atypical sensory processing with the development of eating disorders remain poorly understood. This review focuses on an investigation of the literature concerning eating disorder diagnoses and patterns of sensory processing via validated self-report measures.

Key Findings

Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) demonstrated higher levels of exteroception, while individuals with eating disorders characterised by purging demonstrated increased difficulties re. Interoception.

📌 Plain Speaking Summary: Ellen Maloney Interviews Laurence Cobbaert on Sensory processing across eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-report inventories (India)
🏢 Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC)
📍 India