Altered Striatal Functional Gradients in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves altered functional connectivity within the striatum.
• Previous research on striatal changes in OCD is incomplete.
• Striatal gradients offer a novel method to map functional organization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in striatal gradient topology between individuals with OCD and controls.
• To explore the relationship between striatal gradient changes and OCD symptom fluctuations over time.

Main Methods:

• Calculated spatial striatal gradients from resting-state and task-based fMRI data in 52 individuals with OCD and 45 controls.
• Utilized longitudinal data from 47 individuals with OCD to assess changes in gradient topology.
• Examined gradients during a threat-safety reversal task.

Main Results:

• Found significant group differences in resting-state striatal gradient topology, particularly in the putamen and caudate.
• Observed that individuals with symptom improvement showed gradient changes aligning with controls.
• Identified a group difference in safety-reversal gradient topology within the right nucleus accumbens and putamen.

Conclusions:

• Striatal connectivity alterations, specifically in gradient topology, play a key role in OCD symptom expression.
• Findings support the need for research into neural mechanisms of striatal reorganization.
• Encourages the development of therapies targeting striato-cortical plasticity for OCD treatment.