Voxel-based morphometry analysis of structural brain scans in skin-picking disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Skin-picking disorder (SPD) involves repetitive skin manipulation causing tissue damage and social impairment.
• SPD is classified alongside obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), but few studies have explored its brain abnormalities.
• Existing research on SPD brain structure is limited by small sample sizes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential grey matter volume (GMV) differences in individuals with SPD compared to controls.
• To explore correlations between symptom severity, duration, impairment, and GMV in specific brain regions within the SPD group.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to compare GMV in 35 SPD patients and 35 healthy controls.
• Regions of interest included the basal ganglia, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and insula.
• Patient self-reports on symptom severity, duration, and impairment were correlated with GMV.

Main Results:

• SPD patients exhibited reduced GMV in the OFC and insula compared to controls.
• No significant differences in basal ganglia volume were found between groups.
• Within the SPD group, greater impairment and longer symptom duration correlated with reduced GMV in basal ganglia regions.

Conclusions:

• SPD is associated with GMV abnormalities in the OFC and insula, regions involved in behavior reinforcement and interoception.
• The correlational findings require further investigation in longitudinal studies with clinical control groups to determine specificity.