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Spatial orientation constancy is impaired in anorexia nervosa.
Dewi Guardia1, Olivier Cottencin, Pierre Thomas
1UDSL, EA4559, F-59000 Lille, France. Dewi.GUARDIA@CHRU-LILLE.fr
Psychiatry Research
|August 30, 2011
Summary
Anorexia nervosa patients show abnormal spatial orientation, deviating more than controls when tilted. This suggests parietal cortex dysfunction impacts body boundary perception in anorexia nervosa.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Body distortions in anorexia nervosa (AN) are linked to parietal cortex (PC) dysfunction.
- The PC is crucial for spatial orientation constancy, a function impaired in hemineglect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial orientation constancy in AN patients.
- To determine if AN patients exhibit disturbances in tactile subjective vertical (SV) perception during passive body inclination.
Main Methods:
- Fifty participants (25 AN patients, 25 controls) manually set a rod to vertical under three postural conditions.
- The effect of passive lateral body inclination on tactile SV was assessed.
Main Results:
- A significant deviation of the tactile SV towards the body was observed in tilted conditions.
- This deviation was abnormally accentuated in AN patients compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Parietal cortex dysfunction in AN may affect spatial orientation constancy.
- Findings suggest AN involves altered weighting of the egocentric frame of reference, impacting body boundaries.
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