Intimate stimuli result in fronto-parietal activation changes in anorexia nervosa

L van Zutphen; S Maier; N Siep; G A Jacob; O Tüscher; L Tebartz van Elst; A Zeeck; A Arntz; M-F O'Connor; H Stamm; M Hudek; Andreas Joos

doi:10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x

Intimate stimuli result in fronto-parietal activation changes in anorexia nervosa

L van Zutphen, S Maier, N Siep, G A Jacob, O Tüscher, L Tebartz van Elst, A Zeeck, A Arntz, M-F O'Connor, H Stamm, M Hudek, Andreas Joos^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intimacy is a key psychological problem in anorexia nervosa (AN). Empirical evidence, including neurobiological underpinnings, is however, scarce.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated various emotional stimuli including intimate stimuli experienced in patients with AN and non-patients, as well as their cerebral response.

METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted using stimuli with positive, neutral, negative and intimate content. Participants (14 AN patients and 14 non-patients) alternated between passive viewing and explicit emotion regulation.

RESULTS: Intimate stimuli were experienced less positively in AN patients compared to non-patients. AN patients showed decreased cerebral responses in superior parietal cortices in response to positive and intimate stimuli. Intimate stimuli led to stronger activation of the orbitofrontal cortex, and lower activation of the bilateral precuneus in AN patients. Orbitofrontal responses decreased in AN patients during explicit emotion regulation.

CONCLUSIONS: These results show that intimate stimuli are of particular importance in AN patients, who show experiential differences compared to non-patients and altered activation of orbitofrontal and parietal brain structures. This supports that AN patients have difficulties with intimacy, attachment, self-referential processing and body perception.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control study.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1155-1164
Number of pages	10
Journal	Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity
Volume	24
Issue number	6
Early online date	3 Feb 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x
Publication status	Published - Dec 2019

Keywords

Anorexia nervosa
Intimacy
Neuroimaging
fMRI
Emotion regulation
Orbitofrontal cortex
Precuneus
ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX
EMOTION REGULATION
PREFRONTAL CORTEX
NEURAL BASIS
DISORDER
IMAGES
WOMEN
PSYCHOTHERAPY
PERCEPTION
ANATOMY

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10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x

Cite this

van Zutphen, L., Maier, S., Siep, N., Jacob, G. A., Tüscher, O., van Elst, L. T., Zeeck, A., Arntz, A., O'Connor, M.-F., Stamm, H., Hudek, M., & Joos, A. (2019). Intimate stimuli result in fronto-parietal activation changes in anorexia nervosa. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity, 24(6), 1155-1164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x

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title = "Intimate stimuli result in fronto-parietal activation changes in anorexia nervosa",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Intimacy is a key psychological problem in anorexia nervosa (AN). Empirical evidence, including neurobiological underpinnings, is however, scarce.OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated various emotional stimuli including intimate stimuli experienced in patients with AN and non-patients, as well as their cerebral response.METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted using stimuli with positive, neutral, negative and intimate content. Participants (14 AN patients and 14 non-patients) alternated between passive viewing and explicit emotion regulation.RESULTS: Intimate stimuli were experienced less positively in AN patients compared to non-patients. AN patients showed decreased cerebral responses in superior parietal cortices in response to positive and intimate stimuli. Intimate stimuli led to stronger activation of the orbitofrontal cortex, and lower activation of the bilateral precuneus in AN patients. Orbitofrontal responses decreased in AN patients during explicit emotion regulation.CONCLUSIONS: These results show that intimate stimuli are of particular importance in AN patients, who show experiential differences compared to non-patients and altered activation of orbitofrontal and parietal brain structures. This supports that AN patients have difficulties with intimacy, attachment, self-referential processing and body perception.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control study.",

keywords = "Anorexia nervosa, Intimacy, Neuroimaging, fMRI, Emotion regulation, Orbitofrontal cortex, Precuneus, ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX, EMOTION REGULATION, PREFRONTAL CORTEX, NEURAL BASIS, DISORDER, IMAGES, WOMEN, PSYCHOTHERAPY, PERCEPTION, ANATOMY",

author = "{van Zutphen}, L and S Maier and N Siep and Jacob, {G A} and O T{\"u}scher and {van Elst}, {L Tebartz} and A Zeeck and A Arntz and M-F O'Connor and H Stamm and M Hudek and Andreas Joos",

note = "Funding Information: This study was carried out as part of the study DFG (German Research Foundation) JA1785/3-1 and in preparation of DFG-Grant JO 744-2/1. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.",

year = "2019",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x",

language = "English",

volume = "24",

pages = "1155--1164",

journal = "Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity",

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number = "6",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Intimate stimuli result in fronto-parietal activation changes in anorexia nervosa

AU - van Zutphen, L

AU - Maier, S

AU - Siep, N

AU - Jacob, G A

AU - Tüscher, O

AU - van Elst, L Tebartz

AU - Zeeck, A

AU - Arntz, A

AU - O'Connor, M-F

AU - Stamm, H

AU - Hudek, M

AU - Joos, Andreas

N1 - Funding Information: This study was carried out as part of the study DFG (German Research Foundation) JA1785/3-1 and in preparation of DFG-Grant JO 744-2/1. Publisher Copyright: © 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.

PY - 2019/12

Y1 - 2019/12

N2 - BACKGROUND: Intimacy is a key psychological problem in anorexia nervosa (AN). Empirical evidence, including neurobiological underpinnings, is however, scarce.OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated various emotional stimuli including intimate stimuli experienced in patients with AN and non-patients, as well as their cerebral response.METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted using stimuli with positive, neutral, negative and intimate content. Participants (14 AN patients and 14 non-patients) alternated between passive viewing and explicit emotion regulation.RESULTS: Intimate stimuli were experienced less positively in AN patients compared to non-patients. AN patients showed decreased cerebral responses in superior parietal cortices in response to positive and intimate stimuli. Intimate stimuli led to stronger activation of the orbitofrontal cortex, and lower activation of the bilateral precuneus in AN patients. Orbitofrontal responses decreased in AN patients during explicit emotion regulation.CONCLUSIONS: These results show that intimate stimuli are of particular importance in AN patients, who show experiential differences compared to non-patients and altered activation of orbitofrontal and parietal brain structures. This supports that AN patients have difficulties with intimacy, attachment, self-referential processing and body perception.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control study.

AB - BACKGROUND: Intimacy is a key psychological problem in anorexia nervosa (AN). Empirical evidence, including neurobiological underpinnings, is however, scarce.OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated various emotional stimuli including intimate stimuli experienced in patients with AN and non-patients, as well as their cerebral response.METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted using stimuli with positive, neutral, negative and intimate content. Participants (14 AN patients and 14 non-patients) alternated between passive viewing and explicit emotion regulation.RESULTS: Intimate stimuli were experienced less positively in AN patients compared to non-patients. AN patients showed decreased cerebral responses in superior parietal cortices in response to positive and intimate stimuli. Intimate stimuli led to stronger activation of the orbitofrontal cortex, and lower activation of the bilateral precuneus in AN patients. Orbitofrontal responses decreased in AN patients during explicit emotion regulation.CONCLUSIONS: These results show that intimate stimuli are of particular importance in AN patients, who show experiential differences compared to non-patients and altered activation of orbitofrontal and parietal brain structures. This supports that AN patients have difficulties with intimacy, attachment, self-referential processing and body perception.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control study.

KW - Anorexia nervosa

KW - Intimacy

KW - Neuroimaging

KW - fMRI

KW - Emotion regulation

KW - Orbitofrontal cortex

KW - Precuneus

KW - ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX

KW - EMOTION REGULATION

KW - PREFRONTAL CORTEX

KW - NEURAL BASIS

KW - DISORDER

KW - IMAGES

KW - WOMEN

KW - PSYCHOTHERAPY

KW - PERCEPTION

KW - ANATOMY

U2 - 10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x

DO - 10.1007/s40519-017-0474-x

M3 - Article

C2 - 29397562

SN - 1124-4909

VL - 24

SP - 1155

EP - 1164

JO - Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity

JF - Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity

IS - 6

ER -