Altered Cortico-Striatal Functional Connectivity During Resting State in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with disruptions in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) system.
• Previous resting-state functional connectivity (FC) studies in OCD have focused on limited CSTC components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in resting-state FC across the entire CSTC system in individuals with OCD.
• To explore the role of CSTC network connectivity in the pathophysiology of OCD.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed on 44 patients with OCD and 40 healthy controls.
• FC was examined across all relevant nodes of the direct and indirect CSTC loops.

Main Results:

• OCD patients exhibited significantly increased FC between the left subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the left external globus pallidus (GPe) compared to controls.
• Elevated FC was also observed between the left GPe and the left internal globus pallidus (GPi) in OCD patients.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest that altered CSTC network connectivity is a key feature of OCD pathophysiology.
• Increased FC between the STN and GPe may be a critical factor in OCD, aligning with deep brain stimulation target sites.