Frontal-striatal abnormalities underlying behaviours in the compulsive-impulsive spectrum

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychiatry
• Neurology
• Addiction Psychiatry

Background:

• Impulse control disorders (ICDs) represent a spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions.
• Parkinson's disease is associated with specific ICDs.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction share features with ICDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate psychiatric, neurological, and addiction perspectives on the pathophysiology of ICDs in Parkinson's disease.
• To examine the role of frontal-striatal circuits in the impulse-compulsive spectrum.
• To understand the phenomenological overlap between ICDs in Parkinson's disease, addiction, and OCD.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of recent studies on OCD, ICDs in Parkinson's disease, and cocaine seeking behavior.
• Focus on alterations within and between frontal-striatal circuits.
• Comparative analysis of phenotypic characteristics.

Main Results:

• Frontal-striatal circuit dysfunction is a common substrate for behaviors in OCD, Parkinson's disease ICDs, and addiction.
• Specific alterations in these circuits contribute to the distinct phenotypes of each disorder.
• Significant phenomenological overlap exists between these conditions.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the shared and distinct characteristics of ICDs in Parkinson's disease, addiction, and OCD is crucial.
• Further investigation into these overlaps can advance the understanding of neurobiological underpinnings.
• This knowledge may lead to novel treatment strategies for impulse control disturbances.