Evaluation of enhanced attention to local detail in anorexia nervosa using the embedded figures test; an FMRI study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluation of enhanced attention to local detail in anorexia nervosa using the embedded figures test; an FMRI study

AU - Fonville, Leon

AU - Lao-Kaim, Nick P

AU - Giampietro, Vincent

AU - Van den Eynde, Frederique

AU - Davies, Helen

AU - Lounes, Naima

AU - Andrew, Christopher

AU - Dalton, Jeffrey

AU - Simmons, Andrew

AU - Williams, Steven C R

AU - Baron-Cohen, Simon

AU - Tchanturia, Kate

PY - 2013/5/14

Y1 - 2013/5/14

N2 - The behavioural literature in anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders has indicated an overlap in cognitive profiles. One such domain is the enhancement of local processing over global processing. While functional imaging studies of autism spectrum disorder have revealed differential neural patterns compared to controls in response to tests of local versus global processing, no studies have explored such effects in anorexia nervosa. This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging in conjunction with the embedded figures test, to explore the neural correlates of this enhanced attention to detail in the largest anorexia nervosa cohort to date. On the embedded figures tests participants are required to indicate which of two complex figures contains a simple geometrical shape. The findings indicate that whilst healthy controls showed greater accuracy on the task than people with anorexia nervosa, different brain regions were recruited. Healthy controls showed greater activation in the precuneus whilst people with anorexia nervosa showed greater activation in the fusiform gyrus. This suggests that different cognitive strategies were used to perform the task, i.e. healthy controls demonstrated greater emphasis on visuospatial searching and people with anorexia nervosa employed a more object recognition-based approach. This is in accordance with previous findings in autism spectrum disorder using a similar methodology and has implications for therapies addressing the appropriate adjustment of cognitive strategies in anorexia nervosa.

AB - The behavioural literature in anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders has indicated an overlap in cognitive profiles. One such domain is the enhancement of local processing over global processing. While functional imaging studies of autism spectrum disorder have revealed differential neural patterns compared to controls in response to tests of local versus global processing, no studies have explored such effects in anorexia nervosa. This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging in conjunction with the embedded figures test, to explore the neural correlates of this enhanced attention to detail in the largest anorexia nervosa cohort to date. On the embedded figures tests participants are required to indicate which of two complex figures contains a simple geometrical shape. The findings indicate that whilst healthy controls showed greater accuracy on the task than people with anorexia nervosa, different brain regions were recruited. Healthy controls showed greater activation in the precuneus whilst people with anorexia nervosa showed greater activation in the fusiform gyrus. This suggests that different cognitive strategies were used to perform the task, i.e. healthy controls demonstrated greater emphasis on visuospatial searching and people with anorexia nervosa employed a more object recognition-based approach. This is in accordance with previous findings in autism spectrum disorder using a similar methodology and has implications for therapies addressing the appropriate adjustment of cognitive strategies in anorexia nervosa.

KW - Acknowledged-BRC

KW - Acknowledged-BRC-13/14

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0063964

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0063964

M3 - Article

C2 - 23691129

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 8

SP - e63964

JO - PL o S One

JF - PL o S One

IS - 5

ER -