title: Reduced cortical thickness in body dysmorphic disorder.
abstract: Recent neuroimaging studies in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have implicated abnormal structure and function of occipito-temporal and fronto-limbic regions in the potential pathophysiology of the disorder. To date, morphometric investigations have yielded inconsistent results, and have suggested that clinical symptoms may mediate structural brain abnormalities in BDD. We measured Grey Matter (GM) cortical thickness in 20 participants with BDD and 20 healthy control participants matched on age, gender, estimated IQ and handedness. We observed cortical thinning in BDD patients compared with healthy control participants within the left middle temporal and left inferior parietal gyrus. No significant relationships between cortical thickness and BDD symptom severity, insight, social anxiety and depression were observed within the BDD group. Thinning within left temporal and left inferior parietal regions supports the involvement of these regions in the pathophysiology of BDD.
authors.affiliation: Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: sgrace@swin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Grace
authors.affiliation: Monash University School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Ben G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jerome J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Maller
authors.affiliation: Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Wei Lin
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Castle
authors.affiliation: Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rossell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cerebral cortex; Grey matter; Magnetic resonance imaging; Psychiatry