Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Called Body Dysmorphic Disorder -- or BDD -- Has Biological Link

Do you know someone who is constantly looks at themselves in the mirror? On the other hand, maybe the person avoids mirrors altogether. The person could be someone close to you or it could be you.

According to a press release on Newswise.com, UCLA Healthcare has published an article in the December journal of Archives of General Psychiatry that details conclusions from their study about the possible biological link to BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). BDD is a condition that afflicts about two percent of the population. It is more common in people who are already obsessive-compulsive. Thirty percent of the people who have BDD also have an eating disorder. Many of those who repeatedly have cosmetic surgery do so because they have this disorder.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a disorder that can cause a lot of trauma in the lives of those who suffer from it. Patients with BDD commonly focus on an aspect of their face or body and obsess over it. The disorder causes deep depression and anxiety and persons who are afflicted usually report that the disorder causes disruptions in their daily life.

Dr. Jamie Feusner is the the chief investigator and assistant professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute. Feusner states that the study's research shows that there is no problem with the brain "hardware" of the person with BDD, but that the "operating software" is faulty. The press release quotes Dr. Feusner as saying, " now that we've identified a possible physical cause, down the road we may be able to pinpoint ways that patient's brains can be retrained to perceive faces more accurately."

One of the aspects the researchers studied was whether persons with BDD only saw their own facial/body flaws or if they also interpreted what they saw in others in the same way as they viewed their own real or imagined "flaws". A technology called Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging was used to scan the brain so that researchers could evaluate how the persons with BDD processed the information when they viewed faces of others.

The study was small, with only twelve BDD patients participating. There were three types of images that the patients were asked to view. The first image was one that had not been re-touched. The second photo was one that had been re-touched and the so-called "flaws" of the person photographed (such as freckles, wrinkles, scars) had been erased, but the final image was not clear. The third photo was same as the 2nd one, but the image was now clear and the patients were presented with a very detailed drawing.

The research team states that the results they found convinced them that patients with BDD use the left side of their brain more often than those persons who do not have BDD. The left side of the brain is responsible for the more analytic functions. BDD patients appeared to use the left side of their brain even when processing the less detailed photos, while other persons in the study only used the left side of their brain to process information that was highly detailed.

Dr. Feusner and the research team are still unsure as to why patients with BDD process all information as if it is very detailed (high-frequency" information). Feusner states that brains of patients with BDD not only process all information in this highly detailed manner, but their brains also falsely add detailed information when there is none.

Persons who do not suffer from BDD tend to use the right side of their brain to process less detailed information and their brain allows them to see what is commonly referred to as the big picture. According to the article, persons the researchers had identified as those with severe BDD were the ones that used the left side of their brain the most. According to Feusner, this research shows that there is, in fact, a biological link to BDD and that BDD can "no longer be attributed solely to our society's focus on appearance".

Some of the self check questions for someone who suspects they may have this disorder are:

Do you spend more than an hour per day thinking about your appearance and what you would like changed about your appearance?

If there some part of your appearance that you believe is defective, do you obsess over it to the point that it causes you distress or interferes with your social, work or family life?

Does this issue cause you stress and anxiety?

Do you spend more than an hour a day either checking to see if this aspect of your appearance seems any better or any worse; do you try to hide this part of your appearance?

Are you fixated on cosmetic surgery to change this part of your appearance?

According to information on the UCLA Semel Institute website, if you answered yes to several of these question, you may suffer from BDD and want to see professional

Dr. Feusner states that psychiatrists who specialize in obsessive-compulsive disorders use medication and cognitive behavioral therapy and that it is very helpful in improving a patient's symptoms and enabling them to live a life that is not controlled by this disorder.

Sources used:
Newswise.com #535807
Distorted Self-Image Due to Visual Brain Glitch

npi.ucla.edu/bdd/index.php