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Body image (neuroscience)

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Body image is a complex construct,[1] often used in the clinical context of describing a patient's cognitive perception of their own body. The medical concept began with the work of the Austrian neuropsychiatrist and psychoanalyst Paul Schilder, described in his book The Image and Appearance of the Human Body first published in 1935.[2] The term "body image" was officially introduced by Schilder himself and his widely used definition is: “body image is the picture of our own body we form in our mind, that is to say the way in which the body appears to ourselves”.[3] In research with the term “body image” we currently refer to a conscious mental representation of one’s own body, which involves affects, attitudes, perceptual components and cognition.[4] On the contrary, the term "body schema" was initially used to describe an unconscious body mental representation fundamental for action.[5] Keizer and colleagues (2013) suggest the following definition: "[body schema is] an unconscious, sensorimotor, representation of the body that is invoked in action".[6] In light of recent scientific developments regarding the multisensory integration of body sensations, the distinction between body image and body schema appears simplistic and probably no longer useful for scientific research and clinical purposes.[7]

Engaging in social comparisons, particularly upward comparisons to individuals perceived as superior, can negatively affect self-evaluations and body image. Research indicates that exposure to idealized media images, such as models embodying cultural beauty standards, often leads to unfavorable body-image outcomes. Specifically for women, who are more likely to engage in upward appearance comparisons. Individual differences play a crucial role in which appearance comparison tendencies occur. Identifying modifiable risk factors linked to appearance comparisons is crucial for reducing their frequency and preventing body dissatisfaction. The Identity Disruption Model suggests that early adverse experiences, such as abuse or neglect, can disrupt identity development, leading to low self-concept clarity and an increased tendency to compare oneself to others.

Clinical significance

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In the clinical setting, body image disturbances are relatively frequent[8] and involve both psychiatric and neurological disorders. Disturbances in the perception of one's body are present in psychiatric disorders such as:

Body image disorders are common in eating disorders and are referred to as "body image disturbance".[4]

Disturbances in the body image are also present in neurological conditions such as:

Measurements

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Attempts by researchers to measure variances in body image include the FAI index, developed in a 2014 study (Zaccagni 2014). The FAI (feel-status minus actual-status inconsistency) index is used to assess someone's weight perception. FAI scores range from -3 to +3: Negative FAI values mean weight status underestimation, positive FAI values mean weight status overestimation and a FAI score of 0 means a realistic perception of one's weight status. The study found that women tend to have positive FAI values (overestimating their weight) while men had negative FAI values (underestimating their weight).[9] Further studies have used the FAI index to study body image among natives and immigrants in Italy and North Africa.[10][11]

Another study (Zaccagni 2020) developed a refined version of the FAI index, called the FAIFAT index. This index (feel-fat-status minus actual-fat-status inconsistency) was meant to address possible fat status perception inconsistencies by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hosseini SA, Padhy RK (2021). "Body Image Distortion". StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 31536191. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  2. ^ Schilder PA (1935). The Image and Appearance of the Human Body. Psyche Monographs. London: Kegal Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. ISBN 978-1-136-33828-1.
  3. ^ "Review of the book The image and appearance of the human body, by P. Schilder". Journal of Consulting Psychology. 15 (2): 170. 1951. doi:10.1037/h0052115.
  4. ^ a b Artoni P, Chierici ML, Arnone F, Cigarini C, De Bernardis E, Galeazzi GM, et al. (March 2021). "Body perception treatment, a possible way to treat body image disturbance in eating disorders: a case-control efficacy study". Eating and Weight Disorders. 26 (2): 499–514. doi:10.1007/s40519-020-00875-x. PMID 32124409. S2CID 211728899.
  5. ^ Bonnier P (November 2009). "Asomatognosia P. Bonnier. Asthma. Revue Neurol 1905;13:605-9". Epilepsy & Behavior. International Classics in Epilepsy and Behavior. 16 (3). Translated by Crump T, Lama S: 401–3. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.09.020. PMID 19854683. S2CID 34502886.
  6. ^ Keizer A, Smeets MA, Dijkerman HC, Uzunbajakau SA, van Elburg A, Postma A (29 May 2013). "Too fat to fit through the door: first evidence for disturbed body-scaled action in anorexia nervosa during locomotion". PLOS ONE. 8 (5): e64602. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...864602K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064602. PMC 3667140. PMID 23734207.
  7. ^ Pitron V, de Vignemont F (August 2017). "Beyond differences between the body schema and the body image: insights from body hallucinations" (PDF). Consciousness and Cognition. 53: 115–121. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2017.06.006. PMID 28658652. S2CID 4917066.
  8. ^ Denes G (1999). "Disorders of Body Awareness and Body Knowledge". In Denes G, Pizzamiglio L (eds.). Handbook of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. Psychology Press. pp. 497–506. doi:10.4324/9781315791272-28. ISBN 978-1-315-79127-2. S2CID 216407191.
  9. ^ Zaccagni, Luciana; Masotti, Sabrina; Donati, Roberta; Mazzoni, Gianni; Gualdi-Russo, Emanuela (11 February 2014). "Body image and weight perceptions in relation to actual measurements by means of a new index and level of physical activity in Italian university students". Journal of Translational Medicine. 12: 42. doi:10.1186/1479-5876-12-42. ISSN 1479-5876. PMC 3923553. PMID 24512483.
  10. ^ Gualdi-Russo, E; Rinaldo, N; Khyatti, M; Lakhoua, C; Toselli, S (October 2016). "Weight status, fatness and body image perception of North African immigrant women in Italy". Public Health Nutrition. 19 (15): 2743–2751. doi:10.1017/S1368980016000872. hdl:11392/2353035. PMC 10270840. PMID 27122229.
  11. ^ Kern, Matthias Robert; Heinz, Andreas; Stevens, Gonneke W.J.M.; Walsh, Sophie D.; Willems, Helmut (November 2020). "'What's a normal weight?' – Origin and receiving country influences on weight-status assessment among 1.5 and 2nd generation immigrant adolescents in Europe" (PDF). Social Science & Medicine. 264: 113306. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113306. PMID 32861972.
  12. ^ Zaccagni, L; Rinaldo, N; Bramanti, B; Mongillo, J; Gualdi-Russo, E (14 January 2020). "Body image perception and body composition: assessment of perception inconsistency by a new index". Journal of Translational Medicine. 18 (1): 20. doi:10.1186/s12967-019-02201-1. PMC 6961355. PMID 31937320.

13. Vartanian, L. R., Pinkus, R. T., & Fardouly, J. (2025). Self-concept clarity and appearance comparisons in everyday life. Body Image An International Journal of Research, 52

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