A study on diffusion tensor imaging in patients with untreated first-episode obsessive-compulsive disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
• White matter (WM) integrity is crucial for brain function.
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a key technique for assessing WM microstructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate white matter (WM) integrity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
• To explore the correlation between fractional anisotropy (FA) in abnormal cerebral WM areas and the clinical presentation and course of OCD.

Main Methods:

• Compared WM fractional anisotropy (FA) values between 38 patients with first-episode, untreated OCD and 40 healthy controls using voxel-based analysis (VBA).
• Assessed participants using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS).
• Analyzed correlations between FA values in affected brain regions and clinical measures (Y-BOCS scores, disease course).

Main Results:

• Significantly lower WM FA values were observed in the right precentral gyrus, left insular lobe, left inferior frontal gyrus, and right inferior occipital gyrus in the OCD group compared to controls.
• No significant correlations were found between FA values in these regions and total Y-BOCS scores, obsessional thoughts, compulsive activities, or disease duration.

Conclusions:

• First-episode, untreated OCD is associated with widespread microstructural white matter alterations in the frontal lobe, occipital lobe, and insula.
• These observed WM changes are linked to the occurrence of OCD.
• While specific WM abnormalities are present, their direct correlation with symptom severity or disease course requires further investigation.