Disrupted global and local brain functional network dynamics in adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often emerges in adolescence, a critical neurodevelopmental period.
• Previous research highlighted altered static brain network connectivity in adolescent OCD.
• The temporal dynamics of functional brain networks in this population remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic organization of large-scale brain networks in adolescents with OCD.
• To explore alterations in temporal network properties during a critical developmental stage.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state fMRI data from 40 adolescents with OCD and 40 controls were analyzed.
• Group independent component analysis (ICA) identified intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs).
• Sliding-window analysis, k-means clustering, and graph theory assessed dynamic brain states and nodal variability.

Main Results:

• Adolescents with OCD spent less time in globally integrated brain states compared to controls.
• Reduced temporal variability was observed in the striatum, thalamus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
• Striatal variability reduction correlated with OCD symptom severity and less time in integrated states.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents with OCD exhibit disrupted global and local dynamic network integration and reduced functional flexibility.
• These findings suggest early pathophysiological mechanisms in adolescent OCD.
• Identified impairments may inform age-sensitive neuromodulation strategies for OCD treatment.