Functional magnetic resonance imaging study of frontal lobe activation during word generation in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND
Functional imaging studies have demonstrated abnormal patterns of brain activity in obsessive-compulsive disorder, which consistently suggest the alteration of frontal lobe functioning. We performed a brain activation study in obsessive-compulsive disorder using a cognitive task involving the frontal lobes.


METHODS
Twenty patients and 20 healthy control subjects were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a phonologically guided word generation task. The study analysis was based on the comparison of group average time-course functional changes occurring at the site of largest frontal cortex activation during alternating rest and task periods.


RESULTS
In terms of relative signal changes, patients showed a significantly greater activation during word generation and a defective suppression of this activation during the following rest period. Both abnormal imaging findings significantly correlated with the severity of the clinical process assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that functional magnetic resonance imaging during cognitive challenge may be useful to reveal distinctive features of latent brain dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Pujol
J
J
Magnetic Resonance Center of Pedralbes, Barcelona, Spain.
Torres
L
L
Deus
J
J
Cardoner
N
N
Pifarré
J
J
Capdevila
A
A
Vallejo
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014836:Volition / Q000502:physiology*