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Mentalization and the left inferior frontal gyrus and insula
Author(s) -
McAdams Carrie J.,
Harper Jessica A.,
Van Enkevort Erin
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european eating disorders review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.511
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1099-0968
pISSN - 1072-4133
DOI - 10.1002/erv.2580
Subject(s) - mentalization , psychology , insula , anorexia nervosa , functional magnetic resonance imaging , inferior frontal gyrus , attribution , temporoparietal junction , attribution bias , neurocognitive , theory of mind , developmental psychology , neural correlates of consciousness , perception , eating disorders , prefrontal cortex , clinical psychology , cognition , neuroscience , social psychology
Objective To determine if an interpersonal attribution bias associated with self‐perception, the externalizing bias, was related to neural activations during mentalization. Methods A functional magnetic resonance imaging task involving verbal appraisals measured neural activations when thinking about oneself and others in 59 adults, including healthy women as well as women with and recovered from anorexia nervosa. Whole‐brain regressions correlated brain function during mentalization with the externalizing bias measured using the Internal, Personal, and Situational Attributions Questionnaire. Results Women with anorexia nervosa had a lower externalizing bias, demonstrating a tendency to self‐attribute more negative than positive social interactions, unlike the other groups. The externalizing bias was correlated with activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus and posterior insula, when comparing thinking about others evaluating oneself with direct self‐evaluation. Discussion Externalizing biases may provide an office‐based assay reflecting neurocognitive disturbances in social self‐perception that are common during anorexia nervosa.