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]

Clinical significance

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:

See also

References

  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). Translated by Crump T, Lama S. "Asomatognosia P. Bonnier. Asthma. Revue Neurol 1905;13:605-9". Epilepsy & Behavior. International Classics in Epilepsy and Behavior. 16 (3): 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 (2013-05-29). "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.
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