What Does Neuroimaging Indicate in Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Skin-picking disorder (SPD) is characterized by repetitive, excessive skin picking causing tissue damage.
• The disorder's impact on brain function and structure is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review neuroimaging and neurocognitive findings related to the pathophysiology of SPD.
• To elucidate the structural and functional brain differences associated with SPD.

Main Methods:

• Review of neuroimaging and neurocognitive studies on SPD.
• Analysis of functional imaging data (e.g., hypoactivity in specific brain regions).
• Examination of structural MRI data (e.g., brain volume, cortical thickness).

Main Results:

• Impairments in frontostriatal circuits are critical to SPD development.
• Abnormalities in motor control circuits are linked to impulsivity and motor issues in SPD.
• Functional imaging shows hypoactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsal striatum, and medial frontal areas.
• Structural changes include reduced brain volume and cortical thickness in frontal impulse control regions.

Conclusions:

• SPD exhibits distinct neurobiological and neuroanatomical features.
• Frontostriatal and motor control circuits are implicated in SPD pathophysiology.
• Further research is essential to fully understand the underlying mechanisms of SPD.