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Related Experiment Videos

Hemispheric differences in body image in anorexia nervosa.

M A Smeets1, S M Kosslyn

  • 1Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. smeets@monell.org

The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|April 4, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Women with a history of anorexia nervosa (AN) show altered body image perception, with faster processing of "fatter" stimuli in the left brain hemisphere. This suggests unique hemispheric differences in body image disturbance.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Body image disturbance is a core feature of anorexia nervosa (AN).
  • Understanding the neurocognitive underpinnings of body image distortion in AN is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate hemispheric differences in body image perception in women with AN.
  • To test the hypothesis of an inappropriately fatter body image representation in the left cerebral hemisphere (LH) compared to the right (RH) in AN.

Main Methods:

  • A divided visual field experiment comparing women with AN symptomatology to thin controls.
  • Presentation of distorted and undistorted body images to the left and right visual fields.
  • Participant judgments of body size (thinner, equal, fatter) and response times.

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Main Results:

  • AN participants showed a bias towards perceiving fatter body distortions as their own size, with faster responses to stimuli presented to the LH.
  • Slower responses and fewer "equal" judgments for thinner distortions presented to the LH compared to the RH.
  • Hemispheric differences were primarily observed in individuals with a history of AN, not those currently experiencing AN.

Conclusions:

  • Brain lateralization, specifically hemispheric processing differences, may be a key factor in understanding body image disturbances in AN.
  • The findings suggest that a history of AN is associated with distinct patterns of cerebral processing related to body image.