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Fiorentino M, Carré A, Vandemeulebroucke L, Metral M. Assessment of body Schema distortions in early-onset schizophrenia. Schizophr Res Cogn 2024; 38:100320. [PMID: 39040618 PMCID: PMC11261132 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2024.100320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Distorted body representations play a major role in the onset and maintenance of Schizophrenia. However, these distortions are difficult to assess because explicit assessments can provoke intense fears about the body and require a good insight. We proposed an implicit motor imagery task to a 14-year-old girl with Early-Onset Schizophrenia. The test consisted of presenting different openings varying in width. For each aperture, the young girl has to say if she could pass through without turning her shoulders. A critical aperture is determined as the first aperture for which she considered she could no longer pass, compared to her shoulders' width. The girl perceived herself as 51 % wider than she was, indicating a significant oversized body schema. The implicit assessments of body schema generate less anxiety and does not require a great level of insight; moreover, those are promising tools for early detection of disease in prodromal phases of Schizophrenia and assistance with differential diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Fiorentino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Dispositif Ressources Autismes, Centre Hospitalier Spécialisé de la Savoie, 73000 Bassens, France
| | - Arnaud Carré
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Laura Vandemeulebroucke
- Unité d'Accueil Pédiatrique de l'Enfant en Danger, Centre Hospitalier Metropole Savoie, Chambéry, France
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2
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Boucher JD, Bourgin J, Lassiaz J, Propice K, Metral M. The impact of weight and negative body image on the body schema in undergraduate women. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1373-1385. [PMID: 38565782 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06827-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Alterations of the sensory-motor body schema question the origins of such distortions. For example, in anorexia nervosa where patients think they are broader than they really are (body image) but act as if it was really the case (body schema). To date, the results of studies about what hinders the updating of the body schema so much (weight, body image) have been contradictory. METHODS We therefore conducted two studies that aimed to assess the impact of weight and body image problems on body schema in 92 young women without anorexia nervosa. For this purpose, we used a new body schema assessment tool (SKIN) that is sensitive enough to detect fine alterations of body schema in seven different body parts. RESULTS In Study 1, the thinness or overweight of the young women had a major impact on their tactile perception, especially because the assessed body part was a sensitive area for body dissatisfaction in young women (e.g., belly, thigh). In Study 2, the level of body dissatisfaction of the participants in its attitudinal and perceptual dimension also had a negative impact on their body schema, again in interaction with weight and body part. CONCLUSIONS These results imply that body dissatisfaction and thinness are predictors of massive body schema distortions. An oversized body schema could maintain various weight-control behaviors, thus risking the development, maintenance, or relapse of an eating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-David Boucher
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Jessica Bourgin
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Klervi Propice
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Morgane Metral
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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3
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Reilly EE, Brown TA, Frank GKW. Perceptual Dysfunction in Eating Disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38730196 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by abnormal responses to food and weight-related stimuli and are associated with significant distress, impairment, and poor outcomes. Because many of the cardinal symptoms of EDs involve disturbances in perception of one's body or abnormal affective or cognitive reactions to food intake and how that affects one's size, there has been longstanding interest in characterizing alterations in sensory perception among differing ED diagnostic groups. Within the current review, we aimed to critically assess the existing research on exteroceptive and interoceptive perception and how sensory perception may influence ED behavior. Overall, existing research is most consistent regarding alterations in taste, visual, tactile, and gastric-specific interoceptive processing in EDs, with emerging work indicating elevated respiratory and cardiovascular sensitivity. However, this work is far from conclusive, with most studies unable to speak to the precise etiology of observed perceptual differences in these domains and disentangle these effects from affective and cognitive processes observed within EDs. Further, existing knowledge regarding perceptual disturbances in EDs is limited by heterogeneity in methodology, lack of multimodal assessment protocols, and inconsistent attention to different ED diagnoses. We propose several new avenues for improving neurobiology-informed research on sensory processing to generate actionable knowledge that can inform the development of innovative interventions for these serious disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany A Brown
- Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
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4
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Möllmann A, Heinrichs N, Herwig A. A conceptual framework on body representations and their relevance for mental disorders. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1231640. [PMID: 38250111 PMCID: PMC10796836 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1231640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Many mental disorders are accompanied by distortions in the way the own body is perceived and represented (e.g., eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder including muscle dysmorphia, or body integrity dysphoria). We are interested in the way these distortions develop and aim at better understanding their role in mental health across the lifespan. For this purpose, we first propose a conceptual framework of body representation that defines this construct and integrates different perspectives (e.g., cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology) on body representations. The framework consists of a structural and a process model of body representation emphasizing different goals: the structural model aims to support researchers from different disciplines to structure results from studies and help collectively accumulate knowledge about body representations and their role in mental disorders. The process model is reflecting the dynamics during the information processing of body-related stimuli. It aims to serve as a motor for (experimental) study development on how distorted body representations emerge and might be changed. Second, we use this framework to review the normative development of body representations as well as the development of mental disorders that relate to body representations with the aim to further clarify the potential transdiagnostic role of body representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Möllmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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5
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Naraindas AM, Moreno M, Cooney SM. Beyond Gender: Interoceptive Sensibility as a Key Predictor of Body Image Disturbances. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 14:25. [PMID: 38247677 PMCID: PMC10812832 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Body image disturbance (BID) involves negative attitudes towards shape and weight and is associated with lower levels of interoceptive sensibility (IS) (the subjective perceptions of internal bodily states). This association is considered a risk factor for developing eating disorders (EDs) and is linked to altered sensorimotor representations of the body (i.e., body schema). BIDs manifest across genders and are currently understudied in men. This study investigated gender-related differences in BID and its relationship to the body schema and IS. Data were collected from 86 men and 86 women. BID was assessed using questionnaires measuring self-objectification, state, and trait body dissatisfaction. IS was measured via the MAIA-2. The body schema was indexed via an embodied mental rotation task. Results showed that women reported higher BID than men across all scales. Gender differences in sub-components of interoceptive sensibility were found. Overall, both gender and interoceptive sensibility predicted BID. However, interoceptive sensibility exhibited its own unique association with BID beyond the influence of gender. BID, IS and gender were not significant predictors of performance in the body schema task. Therefore, while gender predicts differences in BID and interoceptive sensibility, there was no evidence of gender-related differences in body schema.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah M. Cooney
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, D04 F6X4 Dublin, Ireland;
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6
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Vaioli G, Bastoni I, Villa V, Mendolicchio L, Castelnuovo G, Mauro A, Scarpina F. "I cannot see your fear!" Altered recognition of fearful facial expressions in anorexia nervosa. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1280719. [PMID: 38125860 PMCID: PMC10732310 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1280719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The evidence about facial emotion recognition in anorexia nervosa as the role of alexithymic traits on this emotional ability is conflicting and heterogeneous. Objective We assessed the capability of recognizing facial expressions of two primary emotions, fear, and anger, in the context of anorexia nervosa. Methods Women affected by anorexia nervosa were compared with healthy weight women in a well-established implicit facial emotion recognition task. Both reaction time and level of accuracy were computed. Moreover, the individual levels of alexithymia were assessed through a standard self-report questionnaire. Results Participants with anorexia nervosa reported a significantly lower performance in terms of reaction time and accuracy when the emotion of fear-but not anger-was the target. Notably, such an alteration was linked to the levels of alexithymia reported in the self-report questionnaire. Conclusion In anorexia nervosa, difficulties in processing facial fearful (but not angry) expressions may be observed as linked to higher expressions of alexithymic traits. We suggested future research in which emotional processing will be investigated taking into account the role of the bodily dimensions of emotional awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Vaioli
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Ilaria Bastoni
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Valentina Villa
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Leonardo Mendolicchio
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
- Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
- “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Scarpina
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, Italy
- “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Naraindas AM, Cooney SM. Body image disturbance, interoceptive sensibility and the body schema across female adulthood: a pre-registered study. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1285216. [PMID: 38098520 PMCID: PMC10720753 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1285216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Body image disturbance (BID) typically involves explicit negative attitudes toward one's shape and weight and is associated with altered interoceptive sensibility (the subjective perception of internal bodily states). This association is a known risk factor for the development and maintenance of eating disorders. However, while research has centred on younger women with eating disorders, diverse facets of BID appear in women without eating disorders across adulthood. Research shows that in the general population, young women (ages 18-25) with high BID exhibit disturbances in the body schema: an implicit sensorimotor representation of the body in space which includes mental simulation of a movement such as motor imagery. Given that body image is subject to age-related influences, it is important to investigate how age-related variation in BID can influence the body schema beyond young adulthood alone. Here, we examine the relationship between BID, interoceptive sensibility and the body schema across female adulthood. Methods Cross-sectional data was collected online from 1,214 women across four age groups: Young adults (18-24), Adults (25-39), Middle-aged adults (40-59), and Older aged adults (60-75). BID was indexed by questionnaires measuring body objectification, state, and trait body dissatisfaction. Interoceptive sensibility (IS) was measured using the MAIA-2 questionnaire. The body schema was evaluated through the Own Body Transformation task: a mental rotation task which assesses the capacity to make an embodied mental transformation. Results Analyses revealed that while body objectification and trait body dissatisfaction decreased from young to older adulthood, state body dissatisfaction showed a marked increase. A negative relationship between IS and BID across all age groups was also evidenced. Finally, age, BID and orientation of the presented body were significant predictors of the time taken to make an embodied transformation. Discussion These findings highlight the consistent relationship of BID and IS across age groups beyond young adulthood and demonstrate the varying importance of different aspects of BID as individuals age. We also evidence for the first time that disruptions in body image have the potential to impact implicit sensorimotor representations of the body even in women without eating disorders across female adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah M. Cooney
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Brizzi G, Sansoni M, Di Lernia D, Frisone F, Tuena C, Riva G. The multisensory mind: a systematic review of multisensory integration processing in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:204. [PMID: 37974266 PMCID: PMC10655389 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00930-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa present alterations in the way they experience their bodies. Body experience results from a multisensory integration process in which information from different sensory domains and spatial reference frames is combined into a coherent percept. Given the critical role of the body in the onset and maintenance of both Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, we conducted a systematic review to examine multisensory integration abilities of individuals affected by these two conditions and investigate whether they exhibit impairments in crossmodal integration. We searched for studies evaluating crossmodal integration in individuals with a current diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa as compared to healthy individuals from both behavioral and neurobiological perspectives. A search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Sciences databases was performed to extract relevant articles. Of the 2348 studies retrieved, 911 were unique articles. After the screening, 13 articles were included. Studies revealed multisensory integration abnormalities in patients affected by Anorexia Nervosa; only one included individuals with Bulimia Nervosa and observed less severe impairments compared to healthy controls. Overall, results seemed to support the presence of multisensory deficits in Anorexia Nervosa, especially when integrating interoceptive and exteroceptive information. We proposed the Predictive Coding framework for understanding our findings and suggested future lines of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Brizzi
- Applied Technology for Neuro- Psychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149, Milan, Italy.
| | - Maria Sansoni
- Humane Technology Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20121, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20121, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Di Lernia
- Applied Technology for Neuro- Psychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Frisone
- Humane Technology Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20121, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20121, Milan, Italy
| | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro- Psychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro- Psychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149, Milan, Italy
- Humane Technology Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20121, Milan, Italy
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Meneguzzo P, Dal Brun D, Collantoni E, Meregalli V, Todisco P, Favaro A, Tenconi E. Linguistic embodiment in typical and atypical anorexia nervosa: Evidence from an image-word matching task. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023; 31:837-849. [PMID: 37415396 DOI: 10.1002/erv.3008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The integration of sensory, motor, and cognitive systems is embodied cognition, according to which mind and body are not separate and distinct, and our body (and our brain, as part of the body) contributes to determining our mental and cognitive processes. In spite of limited data available, Anorexia nervosa (AN) appears as a condition in which embodied cognition is altered, in particular, if we consider bodily sensations and visuospatial information processing. We aimed to evaluate the ability to correctly identify body parts and actions in both full (AN) and atypical AN (AAN), looking at the role of the underweight status. METHOD A group of 143 females (AN = 45, AAN = 43, unaffected women = 55) was enrolled. All participants performed a linguistic embodied task to evaluate the association between a picture-showing a bodily action-and a written verb. Additionally, a subsample of 24 AN participants performed a retest after stable weight recovery. RESULTS Both AN and AAN demonstrated an abnormal ability to evaluate the picture-written verb associations, especially if the involved bodily effectors were the same in both stimuli (i.e., pictorial and verbal) and needed a longer response time. CONCLUSIONS Specific embodied cognition linked to body schema seems to be impaired in persons with AN. The longitudinal analysis showed a difference between AN and AAN only in the underweight condition, suggesting the presence of an abnormal linguistic embodiment. More attention should be devoted to embodiment during AN treatment to improve bodily cognition, which might, in turn, diminish body misperception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - David Dal Brun
- Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Patrizia Todisco
- Eating Disorders Unit, Casa di Cura "Villa Margherita, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Brusa F, Scarpina F, Bastoni I, Villa V, Castelnuovo G, Apicella E, Savino S, Mendolicchio L. Short-term effects of a multidisciplinary inpatient intensive rehabilitation treatment on body image in anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:178. [PMID: 37803403 PMCID: PMC10559592 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00906-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Positive changes in weight gain and eating pathology were reported after inpatient treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN). However, changes in the physical body do not always mirror changes in the imagined body. Here, the effect of a treatment focused on body image (BI) was described. METHODS This retrospective observational study had a quasi-experimental pre-post design without the control group. During the treatment, participants (N = 72) undertake a variety of activities focused on BI. The main outcome was tested through the Body Uneasiness Test. RESULTS At the end of the treatment, BI uneasiness decreased with a significant increase in weight gain. CONCLUSION This study highlights the positive short-term effect of a multidisciplinary inpatient intensive rehabilitation treatment on BI in AN. We encourage to design of psychological treatments focusing on the cognitive and emotional bodily representation (i.e. the body in the mind) to increase physical well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Brusa
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.
| | - Federica Scarpina
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
| | - Ilaria Bastoni
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
| | - Valentina Villa
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
- Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Apicella
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
| | - Sandra Savino
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
| | - Leonardo Mendolicchio
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
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Vabba A, Porciello G, Panasiti MS, Aglioti SM. Development and validation of the Exteroceptive Body Awareness (EBA-q) questionnaire. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15382. [PMID: 37641601 PMCID: PMC10460568 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The conscious processing of body signals influences higher-order psychological and cognitive functions, including self-awareness. Dysfunctions in the processing of these signals has been connected to neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by altered states of self-consciousness. Studies indicate that perceiving the body through interoceptive signals (e.g., from internal organs such as heartbeat and breathing) is distinct from perceiving the body through exteroceptive signals (e.g., by relying on visual, tactile and olfactory cues). While questionnaires are available for assessing interoception, there are no validated self-report instruments for measuring bodily exterception. To fill this gap, we performed three studies to develop and validate a novel scale designed to assess bodily self-consciousness based on the processing of exteroceptive bodily signals. Exploratory factor analysis (Study 1, N = 302) led to an 18-item questionnaire comprised of four factors. We called this instrument Exteroceptive Body Awareness questionnaire (EBA-q). Confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2, N = 184) run on a second sample showed an acceptable fit for a bifactor model, suggesting researchers may use the questionnaire as a unidimensional scale reflecting exteroceptive bodily self-consciousness, or use each of its four sub-scales, reflecting "visuo-tactile body awareness", "spatial coordination", "awareness of body changes" and "awareness of clothing fit". Overall EBA-q showed good internal consistency. Convergent and divergent validity were assessed via cross-validation with existing body awareness questionnaires (Study 3, N = 366) and behavioral measures (Study 3, N = 64) of exteroceptive and interoceptive bodily self-consciousness. Research applications are discussed within a multi-faceted model of exteroception and interoception as distinct, but at the same time interconnected, dimensions of bodily self-consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha Vabba
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome and CLN2S@Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Porciello
- IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Serena Panasiti
- IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome and CLN2S@Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Meregalli V, Tenconi E, Madan CR, Somà E, Meneguzzo P, Ceccato E, Zuanon S, Sala A, Favaro A, Collantoni E. Beyond body image: what body schema and motor imagery can tell us about the way patients with anorexia nervosa experience their body. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 77:94-101. [PMID: 36330847 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AIM Recent evidence suggests that the body image disturbance often observed in patients with anorexia nervosa also extends to the body schema. According to the embodiment approach, the body schema is not only involved in motor execution, but also in tasks that only require a mental simulation of a movement such as motor imagery, mental rotation of bodies, and visuospatial perspective-taking. The aim of the present study was to assess the ability of patients with anorexia to mentally simulate movements. METHODS The sample included 52 patients with acute anorexia and 62 healthy controls. All participants completed three tests of explicit motor imagery, a mental rotation test and a test of visuospatial perspective-taking. RESULTS Patients with anorexia nervosa, with respect to controls, reported greater difficulties in imagining movements according to a first-person perspective, lower accuracy in motor imagery, selective impairment in the mental rotation of human figures, and reduced ability in assuming a different egocentric visuospatial perspective. CONCLUSION These results are indicative of a specific alteration in motor imagery in patients with anorexia nervosa. Interestingly, patients' difficulties appear to be limited to those tasks which specifically rely on the body schema, while patients and controls performed similarly in the 3D objects mental rotation task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Enrica Somà
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Ceccato
- Eating Disorders Unit, Ospedale San Bortolo, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Sophia Zuanon
- Eating Disorders Unit, Ospedale San Bortolo, Vicenza, Italy
| | | | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
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Turnbull G, Lego S, Kennedy BL, Alexi J, Li YR, Engel MM, Mann G, Bayliss DM, Farrell S, Bell J. Sizing up the crowd: Assessing spatial integration difficulties in body size judgements across eating disorder symptomatology. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1003250. [PMID: 36687820 PMCID: PMC9853910 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1003250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Body size judgements are frequently biased, or inaccurate, and these errors are further exaggerated for individuals with eating disorders. Within the eating disorder literature, it has been suggested that exaggerated errors in body size judgements are due to difficulties with integration. Across two experiments, we developed a novel integration task, named the Ebbinghaus Illusion for Bodies in Virtual Reality (VR), to assess whether nearby bodies influence the perceived size of a single body. VR was used to simulate the appearance of a small crowd around a central target body. Method and Results In Experiment 1 (N = 412), participants were required to judge the size of a central female target within a crowd. Experiment 1 revealed an Ebbinghaus Illusion, in which a central female appeared larger when surrounded by small distractors, but comparatively smaller when surrounded by large distractors. In other words, the findings of Experiment 1 demonstrate that surrounding crowd information is integrated when judging an individual's body size; a novel measure of spatial integration (i.e., an Ebbinghaus Illusion for Bodies in VR). In Experiment 2 (N = 96), female participants were selected based on high (n = 43) and low (n = 53) eating disorder symptomatology. We examined whether the magnitude of this illusion would differ amongst those with elevated versus low eating disorder symptomatology, in accordance with weak central coherence theory, with the high symptomatology group displaying less spatial integration relative to the low group. The results of Experiment 2 similarly found an Ebbinghaus Illusion for Bodies in VR. However, illusion magnitude did not vary across high and low symptomatology groups. Discussion Overall, these findings demonstrate that surrounding crowd information is integrated when judging individual body size; however, those with elevated eating disorder symptomatology did not show any integration deficit on this broader measure of spatial integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Turnbull
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia,*Correspondence: Georgia Turnbull,
| | - Sophia Lego
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Briana L. Kennedy
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Joanna Alexi
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Yanqi R. Li
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Manja M. Engel
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Georgina Mann
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Donna M. Bayliss
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Simon Farrell
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Jason Bell
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Șunei MC, Petracovschi S, Bota E, Almajan-Guță B, Nagel A. Relationship between Body Schema and Scholar Maturity: A Study from the National College of Banat in Timisoara, Romania. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9091369. [PMID: 36138678 PMCID: PMC9497867 DOI: 10.3390/children9091369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the role and importance of specific physical exercises in the development of the body schema in preparatory class pupils and its effect on the development of maturity. Methods: The experiment took place over a period of 10 weeks in which two physical education lessons per week were scheduled; the lessons include specific themes for the development of the body schema and contain exercises to arouse pupils’ interest in sports and physical activities from this age. A number of 150 pupils aged between 5 years and 6 months and 7 years and 6 months participated in the experiment. The pupils were divided into two groups: the experimental group (76 pupils, 32 boys and 34 girls) and the control group (74 pupils, 31 boys and 33 girls). Next, the “Draw-a-Person” Test was applied at the beginning and end of the experiment. Results: The analysis of the results highlights the fact that after completing the intervention plan there is a significant improvement in the results of the experimental group on the Maturity Scale and implicitly on the three development scales: Head Scale, Body Schema Scale, and Clothing Scale. Among the three scales, the Body Schema Scale has the greatest influence on the Maturity Scale (r = 0.841). Conclusions: The preparatory class produces a connection between the kindergarten and the school; furthermore, the physical education lessons with an emphasis on the development of the body scheme contribute to the development of maturity and school preparation of the pupils.
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Mannarini S, Kleinbub JR. Parental-Bonding and Alexithymia in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa, Their Parents, and Siblings. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:123. [PMID: 35621420 PMCID: PMC9137782 DOI: 10.3390/bs12050123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) patients and their family-members share alexithymia, anxiety, depression, and other psychological symptoms, in the context of altered attachment. These domains have been individually studied in the context of eating disorders; few attempts have been made to study their interaction, especially including family members. In this study, alexithymia, parental-bonding, and psychopathology were assessed in 32 Italian families consisting of an adolescent AN patient, a sibling, and their parents. We aimed to (a) describe a sample of Italian families with a child affected by AN, notably including siblings; (b) investigate interactions between assessed constructs in patients and their siblings; and (c) investigate possible intergenerational effects. Results showed high alexithymia and psychopathological symptoms in patients but not in siblings, although the latter reported high obsession-compulsion and paranoid ideation scores. Patients' and siblings' alexithymia correlated with psychopathology. Parents reported generally low alexithymia. Perceived parental bonding was found to be suboptimal in most participants, yet no clear relationship was found between specific parenting styles and other measured traits, nor did we find any other relevant intergenerational effect. Anorexia nervosa implies psychological difficulties for all family members. Siblings' psychopathological traits are especially concerning and currently understudied. Implications for future research and clinical interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Mannarini
- Interdepartmental Center for Family Research (CIRF), University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy;
- Section of Applied Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy
| | - Johann Roland Kleinbub
- Interdepartmental Center for Family Research (CIRF), University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy;
- Section of Applied Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy
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Interoceptive influences on the production of self-serving lies in reputation risk conditions. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 177:34-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Baumann P, Beckmann N, Herpertz S, Trojan J, Diers M. Influencing the body schema through the feeling of satiety. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2350. [PMID: 35149735 PMCID: PMC8837638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06331-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The body schema is a much discussed aspect of body awareness. Although there is still no single definition, there is widespread consensus that the body schema is responsible for movement and interaction with the environment. It usually remains outside of active consciousness. There are only few investigations on influences on the body schema and none of them investigated feeling of satiety or hunger. Thirty-two healthy women were investigated twice, one time sat and the other time hungry. To measure the body schema, we used a door-like-aperture and compared the critical aperture-to-shoulder-ratio (cA/S). A cover story was used to ensure that the unconscious body schema has been measured. We found a significantly higher cA/S for satiety compared to hungry, which indicates that during satiety participants rotate their shoulders for relatively larger door compared to hunger, unconsciously estimating their body size to be larger. We showed that even a moderate rated feeling of hunger or satiety leads to an adjustment in body-scaled action and consequently also an adaptation of body schema. It suggests that, in addition to the visual-spatial and the proprioceptive representation, somatic information can also be relevant for the body schema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Baumann
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nina Beckmann
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephan Herpertz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jörg Trojan
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Diers
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
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Scarpina F, Bastoni I, Villa V, Mendolicchio L, Castelnuovo G, Mauro L, Sedda A. Self-perception in anorexia nervosa: When the body becomes an object. Neuropsychologia 2022; 166:108158. [PMID: 35033502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Women with anorexia nervosa (AN) act as if they have a larger body, as evidenced in obstacle avoidance tasks, where an allocentric perspective is adopted. This alteration emerges not only when they perform, but also when they imagine movements. However, no previous study has investigated own body centered tasks. As such, in this study we aim at documenting if women with AN show an altered behaviour also when the task requires a first-person perspective. METHOD We explored the performance of eleven woman affected by AN compared to eighteen matched controls, in two motor imagery tasks based on a self-frame of reference, the Hand Laterality Task and the Mental Motor Chronometry Task. Moreover, two control tasks relative to visual imagery were administered. RESULTS In the Hand Laterality Task, affected participants did not adopt a motor strategy to judge hands laterality (i.e. no biomechanical constraints effect). Crucially, they also showed an altered behavior in the control task. Similarly, they did not show the expected isochrony in the Mental Motor Chronometry Task, when actions pertained the left (but not the right) hand, in absence of any difference in the control task. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal altered imagery processes in AN. Specifically, affected participants adopt a third-person, rather than a first-person perspective, even when the task requires to imagine their own body in an internal frame of reference. In other words, participants with AN objectify body stimuli. Different mechanisms (i.e., checking behaviour; mirror self-reflection; altered multisensory integration) can explain such an altered imagery in AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Scarpina
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy.
| | - Ilaria Bastoni
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Valentina Villa
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Leonardo Mendolicchio
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy; Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Leonardo Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Anna Sedda
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, UK
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Spatial hand representation in anorexia nervosa: a controlled pilot study. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19724. [PMID: 34611215 PMCID: PMC8492666 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99101-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Body representation distortion (BRD) is a core criterion of Anorexia Nervosa (AN), and is usually assessed subjectively, focusing on body shape. We aimed to develop a new assessment to evaluate body representation independently from socially-mediated body image, on a body part with low emotional salience (hands). In a monocentric open label pilot study, we measured hand representations based on explicit (verbal) and implicit (tactile) instructions. Participants, with eyes closed, had to point targeted locations (knuckles and nails of each finger) based on verbal instructions and tactile stimulations to evaluate body representations respectively. Ratios between hand width and finger length were compared between AN (n = 31) and controls (n = 31) and correlated with current body mass index, AN subtype and disease duration. To control that hand distortion was specific to body representation, we also assessed object representation. Hand representation’s width/length ratio was significantly increased in patients with AN, whereas no difference was found in object representation. We found no correlation between hand wideness and clinical traits related to eating disorders. Our results propose that BRD is not limited to body parts with high emotional salience, strengthening the hypothesis that anorexia nervosa is associated with profound unspecific BRD.
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