White matter microstructural abnormalities and gray matter volume alterations in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatry
• Neurology

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex neuropsychiatric condition.
• Understanding the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of OCD is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Approach:

• A meta-analysis of 23 diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies was conducted to investigate white matter (WM) microarchitecture abnormalities in OCD patients.
• Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and voxel-based analysis (VBA) were used to compare WM fractional anisotropy (FA) differences between OCD patients and healthy controls (HCs).
• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed to analyze gray matter volume (GMV) changes in 21 studies, comparing adults and adolescents.

Key Points:

• OCD patients exhibited altered FA in several WM regions, including the right lenticular nucleus (putamen), corpus callosum (CC), left insula, right cerebellum, right gyrus rectus, and left inferior parietal gyri.
• Significant differences in FA changes were observed between TBSS and VBA methods in OCD patients compared to HCs.
• GMV was significantly increased in the left striatum and left precentral gyrus, and decreased in the right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, and right hippocampus of OCD patients.
• Adult OCD patients showed increased GMV in the left lenticular nucleus (putamen) compared to adolescents.

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis confirms widespread WM microarchitecture abnormalities and altered GMV in OCD patients.
• These neuroanatomical changes are likely integral to the pathophysiology of OCD.
• Further research into these specific brain alterations may elucidate novel therapeutic targets for OCD.