An fMRI investigation of emotional processing of body shape in bulimia nervosa

作者：Spangler Diane L^*; Allen Mark D

来源：International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2012, 45(1): 17-25.

DOI：10.1002/eat.20899

• fMRI
• body image
• body shape
• bulimia nervosa
• self reflection
• medial prefrontal cortex

Objective: Cognitive-behavioral theories of eating disorder etiology emphasize the role of body-oriented self-schemas. Examination of brain regions associated with self-referencing, such as medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), during processing of body-related stimuli can thus be utilized to evaluate such theories. %26lt;br%26gt;Method: Twelve women with bulima nervosa (BN) and 12 comparison women underwent functional brain imaging while viewing images of women with either thin or overweight bodies in a self-referencing context. %26lt;br%26gt;Results: For thin bodies, there was no significant mPFC activation for either group. For overweight bodies, mPFC activation was significantly greater for BN patients, with a focus in subregions associated with emotional processing. %26lt;br%26gt;Discussion: These findings are consistent with cognitive models of eating disorders which posit that negative bodyrelated stimuli are more central to self-schemas and more emotionally provocative in persons with eating disorders, lending support to treatment and prevention interventions that emphasize body overvaluation as a primary target of change.

• 出版日期2012-1