| Sumario: | Objective: The integration of sensory, motor, and cognitive systems is embodied cognition, according to which mind and body are not separate and distinct, and our body (and our brain, as part of the body) contributes to determining our mental and cognitive processes. In spite of limited data available, Anorexia nervosa (AN) appears as a condition in which embodied cognition is altered, in particular, if we consider bodily sensations and visuospatial information processing. We aimed to evaluate the ability to correctly identify body parts and actions in both full (AN) and atypical AN (AAN), looking at the role of the underweight status. Method: A group of 143 females (AN = 45, AAN = 43, unaffected women = 55) was enrolled. All participants performed a linguistic embodied task to evaluate the association between a picture—showing a bodily action—and a written verb. Additionally, a subsample of 24 AN participants performed a retest after stable weight recovery. Results: Both AN and AAN demonstrated an abnormal ability to evaluate the picture‐written verb associations, especially if the involved bodily effectors were the same in both stimuli (i.e., pictorial and verbal) and needed a longer response time. Conclusions: Specific embodied cognition linked to body schema seems to be impaired in persons with AN. The longitudinal analysis showed a difference between AN and AAN only in the underweight condition, suggesting the presence of an abnormal linguistic embodiment. More attention should be devoted to embodiment during AN treatment to improve bodily cognition, which might, in turn, diminish body misperception. Highlights: Linguistic approach provides new insights into the theory of embodimentLinguistic embodiment appears altered in patients with anorexia nervosaNo significant differences between typical and atypical anorexia nervosa emergedAfter weight recovery, patients with anorexia nervosa showed improved task abilityAll patients required more time for the embodiment task than controlsDisembodiment does not appear to be linked to the severity of underweight
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