The emotional face of anorexia nervosa: The neural correlates of emotional processing. Issue 10 (19th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Halls, Daniel; Leslie, Monica; Leppanen, Jenni; Sedgewick, Felicity; Surguladze, Simon; Fonville, Leon; Lang, Katie; Simic, Mima; Nicholls, Dasha; Williams, Steven; Tchanturia, Kate
• Is Part Of: Human brain mapping. Volume 42:Issue 10(2021)
• Page Start: 3077
• Page End: 3087
• Publication Date: 2021-03-19
• Subjects: anorexia nervosa -- emotional faces -- emotional processing -- functional magnetic resonance imagining -- psychophysical interaction; Brain mapping -- Periodicals; 611.81
• DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25417
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1065-9471

Abstract

Abstract: Social–emotional processing difficulties have been reported in Anorexia Nervosa (AN), yet the neural correlates remain unclear. Previous neuroimaging work is sparse and has not used functional connectivity paradigms to more fully explore the neural correlates of emotional difficulties. Fifty‐seven acutely unwell AN (AAN) women, 60 weight‐recovered AN (WR) women and 69 healthy control (HC) women categorised the gender of a series of emotional faces while undergoing Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The mean age of the AAN group was 19.40 (2.83), WR 18.37 (3.59) and HC 19.37 (3.36). A whole brain and psychophysical interaction connectivity approach was used. Parameter estimates from significant clusters were extracted and correlated with clinical symptoms. Whilst no group level differences in whole brain activation were demonstrated, significant group level functional connectivity differences emerged. WR participants showed increased connectivity between the bilateral occipital face area and the cingulate, precentral gyri, superior, middle, medial and inferior frontal gyri compared to AAN and HC when viewing happy valenced faces. Eating disorder symptoms and parameter estimates were positively correlated. Our findings characterise the neural basis of social–emotional processing in a large sample of individuals with AN. Abstract : Social–emotional processing difficulties have been reported in Anorexia Nervosa (AN), yet the neural correlates remain unclear. Using functional imaging and a functional connectivity approach, 57 acutely unwell AN (AAN) women, 60 weight‐recovered AN (WR) women and 69 healthy control (HC) women categorised the gender of a series of emotional faces. WR participants showed increased connectivity between the bilateral occipital face area and the cingulate, precentral gyri, superior, middle, medial and inferior frontal gyri compared to AAN and HC when viewing happy valenced faces which was correlated to eating disorder symptoms.