TY - JOUR
T1 - Disorganization of anatomical connectivity in obsessive compulsive disorder
T2 - A multi-parameter diffusion tensor imaging study in a subpopulation of patients
AU - Garibotto, V.
AU - Scifo, P.
AU - Gorini, A.
AU - Alonso, Clarke R.
AU - Brambati, S.
AU - Bellodi, L.
AU - Perani, D.
PY - 2010/2
Y1 - 2010/2
N2 - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is thought to involve large-scale brain systems but the anatomical connectivity via association fibers has not been specifically investigated yet. We evaluated organization and directionality of the major fiber bundles in a subpopulation of OCD, including washers and checkers who presented decision making deficits, by measuring MRI parameters related to water self-diffusion (Fractional Anisotropy, FA) and fiber directionality (Principal Diffusion Direction, PDD) in 15 OCD and 16 control subjects. OCD patients showed significantly lower FA and altered PDD along the corpus callosum, cingulum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus bilaterally. The track-based analysis of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus confirmed a significant bilateral FA reduction. Lower FA values in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus and corpus callosum correlated with symptom severity and neuropsychological performance. This multi-parameter MRI study revealed specific white matter abnormalities in OCD suggesting tract disorganization as main feature, reflected by local changes in fiber directionality. This altered anatomical connectivity might play a specific role in OCD pathophysiology.
AB - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is thought to involve large-scale brain systems but the anatomical connectivity via association fibers has not been specifically investigated yet. We evaluated organization and directionality of the major fiber bundles in a subpopulation of OCD, including washers and checkers who presented decision making deficits, by measuring MRI parameters related to water self-diffusion (Fractional Anisotropy, FA) and fiber directionality (Principal Diffusion Direction, PDD) in 15 OCD and 16 control subjects. OCD patients showed significantly lower FA and altered PDD along the corpus callosum, cingulum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus bilaterally. The track-based analysis of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus confirmed a significant bilateral FA reduction. Lower FA values in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus and corpus callosum correlated with symptom severity and neuropsychological performance. This multi-parameter MRI study revealed specific white matter abnormalities in OCD suggesting tract disorganization as main feature, reflected by local changes in fiber directionality. This altered anatomical connectivity might play a specific role in OCD pathophysiology.
KW - Connectivity
KW - Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
KW - Fiber tracts
KW - Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
KW - Visuospatial functions
KW - White matter
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=72749095158&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=72749095158&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.11.003
DO - 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.11.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 19913616
AN - SCOPUS:72749095158
VL - 37
SP - 468
EP - 476
JO - Neurobiology of Disease
JF - Neurobiology of Disease
SN - 0969-9961
IS - 2
ER -