A systematic review of visual processing and associated treatments in body dysmorphic disorder
Abstract
Objective: Recent advances in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have explored abnormal visual processing, yet it is unclear how this relates to treatment. The aim of this study was to summarize our current understanding of visual processing in BDD and review associated treatments. Method: The literature was collected through PsycInfo and PubMed. Visual processing articles were included if written in English after 1970, had a specific BDD group compared to healthy controls and were not case studies. Due to the lack of research regarding treatments associated with visual processing, case studies were included. Results: A number of visual processing abnormalities are present in BDD, including face recognition, emotion identification, aesthetics, object recognition and gestalt processing. Differences to healthy controls include a dominance of detailed local processing over global processing and associated changes in brain activation in visual regions. Perceptual mirror retraining and some forms of self‐exposure have demonstrated improved treatment outcomes, but have not been examined in isolation from broader treatments. Conclusion: Despite these abnormalities in perception, particularly concerning face and emotion recognition, few BDD treatments attempt to specifically remediate this. The development of a novel visual training programme which addresses these widespread abnormalities may provide an effective treatment modality.
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Their results influence the understanding of BDD and the planning of therapeutic work.
“Eredményeik a BDD megértését és a terápiás munka tervezését is befolyásolják (Beilharz, Castle, Grace és Rossell, 2017).”
From A testdiszmorfiás zavar pszichológiai vonatkozásai (2023) · cites this paper as Beilharz, Castle, Grace és Rossell, 2017
Cites
Cognitive-behavioral body image therapy for body dysmorphic disorder
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Modular cognitive-behavioral therapy for body dysmorphic disorder: A randomized controlled trial
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Emotion recognition deficits in body dysmorphic disorder
Buhlmann, U., McNally, R. J., Etcoff, N. L., Tuschen-Caffier, B., & Wilhelm, S. (2004) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/s0022-3956(03)00107-9 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Executive function in body dysmorphic disorder
Dunai, J., Labuschagne, I., Castle, D. J., Kyrios, M., & Rossell, S. L. (2010) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s003329170999198x · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Self-citationPhillipou, A., Rossell, S. L., Wilding, H. E., & Castle, D. J. (2016) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.05.062 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Self-citationCulturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Case Examples
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Hambleton, A., Pepin, G., Le, A., Maloney, D., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium, Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Brennan, L., Bryant, E., et al. (2022) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-022-00654-2 · Cited by 377 · see citing works
Self-citationSet shifting and visuospatial organization deficits in body dysmorphic disorder
Greenberg, J. L., Weingarden, H., Reuman, L., Abrams, D., Mothi, S. S., & Wilhelm, S. (2018) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.11.062 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
A testdiszmorfiás zavar pszichológiai vonatkozásai
Szászi, B., & Szabó, P. (2023) · Magyar Pszichologiai Szemle · doi:10.1556/0016.2023.00042 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Beilharz, F., Castle, D. J., Grace, S., & Rossell, S. L.
- Affiliations
- Swinburne University of Technology (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- The Alfred Hospital (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Beilharz, F.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-02-12
- Volume
- 136
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 16-36
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W2586403597
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 1.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
- Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Keywords
- body dysmorphic disorder, visual processing, face recognition (cognition), emotion recognition, aesthetic perception, object recognition, local versus global processing, treatment outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Facial Recognition, Humans, Social Perception, Visual Perception, Body Dysmorphic Disorders
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