title: Functional connectivity for face processing in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia nervosa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and anorexia nervosa (AN) are both characterized by distorted perception of appearance. Previous studies in BDD suggest abnormalities in visual processing of own and others' faces, but no study has examined visual processing of faces in AN, nor directly compared the two disorders in this respect.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data on 60 individuals of equivalent age and gender in each of three groups--20 BDD, 20 weight-restored AN, and 20 healthy controls (HC)--while they viewed images of others' faces that contained only high or low spatial frequency information (HSF or LSF). We tested hypotheses about functional connectivity within specialized sub-networks for HSF and LSF visual processing, using psychophysiological interaction analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BDD group demonstrated increased functional connectivity compared to HC between left anterior occipital face area and right fusiform face area (FFA) for LSF faces, which was associated with symptom severity. Both BDD and AN groups had increased connectivity compared to HC between FFA and precuneous/posterior cingulate gyrus for LSF faces, and decreased connectivity between FFA and insula. In addition, we found that LSF connectivity between FFA and posterior cingulate gyrus was significantly associated with thoughts about own appearance in AN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest similar abnormal functional connectivity within higher-order systems for face processing in BDD and AN, but distinct abnormal connectivity patterns within occipito-temporal visual networks. Findings may have implications for understanding relationships between these disorders, and the pathophysiology underlying perceptual distortions.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA,Los Angeles,CA,USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA,Los Angeles,CA,USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine,Stanford,CA,USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bohon
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA,Los Angeles,CA,USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Strober
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA,Los Angeles,CA,USA.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Bookheimer
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA,Los Angeles,CA,USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sheen
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA,Los Angeles,CA,USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Feusner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000066499:Facial Recognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010469:Perceptual Distortion; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anorexia nervosa; body dysmorphic disorder; functional connectivity; psychophysiological interaction