Regional brain volumes in body dysmorphic disorder compared to controls.
OBJECTIVE
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterized by a preoccupation with a misperceived flaw in appearance, causing significant distress and disability. Neuropsychological research has revealed deficits in executive function and inhibitory control of emotional responses. The few previous structural neuroimaging studies have had inconclusive findings and we aimed to take this field of research forward by contributing high quality structural data.


METHODS
To investigate regional brain volumes we compared 20 BDD participants and 20 matched controls using high-resolution structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI data was subjected to cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentation using Freesurfer software.


RESULTS
Results showed the right orbitofrontal cortex, bilateral thalamus, left anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and amygdala were significantly smaller in the BDD sample compared to controls. The most pronounced differences were in the right orbitofrontal cortex and left anterior cingulate cortex, as these areas were smaller in BDD participants independent of reduced global brain volumes. Duration of illness significantly negatively correlated with right orbitofrontal cortex volumes.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the largest volumetric neuroimaging study in BDD to date and provides important data on volumetric differences that implicate fronto-limbic circuits.
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia ben@benbuchanan.com.au.
Ben
B
Buchanan
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Susan
S
Rossell
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Jerome J
JJ
Maller
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Wei Lin
WL
Toh
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
Sarah
S
Brennan
Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
David
D
Castle
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009929:Organ Size; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
BDD; Body dysmorphia; MRI; body image; neuroimaging