A selected sample of 20 female anorexia nervosa patients in a state of serious emaciation was investigated on a screening battery of neuropsychological tests. A striking finding was the high number of deficits in the short-term visual memory. The results are discussed in the light of the scarce literature on the subject. Impaired cognitive functioning (especially attentional processes and concentration power) could play an important role in the prognosis of certain anorexia nervosa patients.