COMPULS: design of a multicenter phenotypic, cognitive, genetic, and magnetic resonance imaging study in children
Jilly Naaijen1, Saskia de Ruiter2, Marcel P Zwiers3
1Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Noord 10 (Huispost 126), 6525, EZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.naaijen@donders.ru.nl.
Background:
Compulsivity, the closely linked trait impulsivity and addictive behaviour are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). All three disorders show impaired fronto-striatal functioning, which may be related to altered glutamatergic signalling. Genetic factors are also thought to play an important role in the aetiology of compulsivity-related disorders.
Methods:
The COMPULS study is a multi-center study designed to investigate the relationship between the traits compulsivity, impulsivity, and, to a lesser extent, addictive behaviour within and across the neurodevelopmental disorders ADHD, ASD, and OCD. This will be done at the phenotypic, cognitive, neural, and genetic level. In total, 240 participants will take part in COMPULS across four different sites in Europe. Data collection will include diagnostic interviews, behavioural questionnaires, cognitive measures, structural, functional and spectral neuroimaging, and genome-wide genetic information.
Discussion:
The COMPULS study will offer the unique opportunity to investigate several key aspects of compulsivity across a large cohort of ADHD, ASD and OCD patients.
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