Abstract
There have been no reports concerning the self-face perception in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). The purpose of this study was to compare the neuronal correlates of viewing self-face images (i.e. images of familiar face) and stranger-face images (i.e. images of an unfamiliar face) in female adolescents with and without AN. We used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure hemodynamic responses while the participants viewed full-color photographs of self-face and stranger-face. Fifteen females with AN (mean age, 13.8 years) and 15 age- and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched female controls without AN (mean age, 13.1 years) participated in the study. The responses to photographs were compared with the baseline activation (response to white uniform blank). In the AN group, the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) significantly increased in the right temporal area during the presentation of both the self-face and stranger-face images compared with the baseline level. In contrast, in the control group, the concentration of oxy-Hb significantly increased in the right temporal area only during the presentation of the self-face image. To our knowledge the present study is the first report to assess brain activities during self-face and stranger-face perception among female adolescents with AN. There were different patterns of brain activation in response to the sight of the self-face and stranger-face images in female adolescents with AN and controls.
Highlights
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious psychiatric disorders that predominantly affect female adolescents
We hypothesized that subjects with Anorexia nervosa (AN) who present with own-body image distortion have different self-face perception compared with controls
There was no significant difference in age or intelligence quotient (IQ) between the two groups
Summary
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious psychiatric disorders that predominantly affect female adolescents. The prevalence rates for different types of EDs range from 0.3% to 1% in young females [1]. Psychological, social, genetic, and cognitive deficits play a role in the onset and the maintenance of EDs. Body image distortion is a major symptom of AN. Neural basis of body image distortion has gradually become clear in recent years. Several functional neuroimaging studies have researched the possible neurofunctional correlates of body images distortion in patients with AN and other EDs. Over the past decade, several functional neuroimaging studies have researched the possible neurofunctional correlates of body images distortion in patients with AN and other EDs These studies have documented different neural activation patterns between patients and controls [3,4,5,6]
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