Cognitive dysfunction in body dysmorphic disorder: new implications for nosological systems and neurobiological...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition characterized by obsessions with perceived appearance flaws.
• BDD is now classified under Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in the DSM-5.
• Limited research exists on the cognitive profile of individuals with BDD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neurocognitive profile of individuals diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
• To compare cognitive performance in BDD patients versus healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A neurocognitive battery assessed attentional set-shifting, decision-making, response inhibition, and affective processing.
• Participants included 12 individuals with BDD and 16 healthy controls, matched for age, IQ, and education.

Main Results:

• Patients with BDD demonstrated significantly impaired attentional set-shifting compared to controls.
• Abnormal decision-making, impaired response inhibition, and increased errors in emotional processing were observed in the BDD group.
• BDD patients showed poorer performance on tests of cognitive flexibility, reward, and motor impulsivity.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with BDD exhibit widespread cognitive dysfunction, including in cognitive flexibility, reward processing, and affective processing.
• These cognitive deficits in BDD are similar to those observed in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
• The findings support the DSM-5 reclassification of BDD alongside OCD and suggest specific decision-making abnormalities contributing to BDD psychopathology.