Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) are preoccupied with perceived bodily flaws. Little is known about the brain mechanisms underlying BDD, and the authors therefore assessed whole-brain and local white matter organization in patients with BDD. They found evidence of greater local versus global efficiency of information processing in individuals with BDD compared with healthy controls. Global efficiency levels negatively correlated with BDD symptom severity. Greater local versus global information processing might explain why people with BDD are unable to see a physical flaw as minor in the context of their whole appearance.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Arienzo, D. et al. Abnormal brain network organization in body dysmorphic disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 15 Jan 2013 (doi:10.1038/npp.2013.18)
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Welberg, L. Focusing on flaws. Nat Rev Neurosci 14, 155 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3449
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3449