Cerebral white matter volume changes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Voxel-based morphometry

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
• Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of OCD is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in cerebral white matter (WM) volume in patients with OCD using voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
• To examine the correlation between WM volume changes and the severity of OCD symptoms, as measured by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).

Main Methods:

• A voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study was conducted on 14 patients diagnosed with OCD and 14 age-matched healthy controls.
• High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 (SPM8).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in total intracranial volume were observed between OCD patients and controls.
• OCD patients demonstrated significantly increased WM volumes in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle frontal gyrus, precuneus, and inferior parietal lobule.
• A positive correlation was found between WM volumes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and Y-BOCS scores in OCD patients.

Conclusions:

• WM volume variations in specific brain regions are associated with OCD.
• These findings contribute to understanding the neural connectivity underlying OCD symptoms.
• Morphometric MRI analysis, including VBM, may aid in the diagnostic accuracy of OCD.