Abnormal corticostriatal-limbic functional connectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder during reward processing and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Compulsive behaviors in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are linked to reward processing deficits within corticostriatal circuitry.
• While regional activity in these circuits is studied, the functional connectivity (FC) between specific regions in OCD remains less understood.
• Understanding these connections is crucial for elucidating the pathophysiology of OCD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in functional connectivity (FC) patterns within the corticostriatal-limbic network during resting-state and incentive processing in individuals with OCD.
• To compare FC patterns between patients with OCD and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Nineteen patients with OCD and 18 healthy controls underwent resting-state and monetary incentive delay task fMRI scans.
• Functional connectivity was assessed using both voxel-wise and region-of-interest (ROI)-wise analyses, with the nucleus accumbens as a seed region.
• FC was analyzed during both resting-state and task-state (incentive processing).

Main Results:

• Patients with OCD exhibited increased FC between the nucleus accumbens and lateral orbitofrontal cortex during resting-state.
• During incentive processing, OCD patients showed decreased FC between the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala.
• Alterations in FC were observed between resting and task states in OCD patients.

Conclusions:

• Patients with OCD demonstrate altered functional connectivity within the corticostriatal-limbic network, specifically in striatal-amygdala and striatal-orbitofrontal circuitry.
• These alterations are evident during both resting-state and incentive processing.
• Findings suggest that functional connections in this network are modulated by affective/motivational states, with potential abnormalities in modulation among OCD patients.