Spontaneous magnetoencephalographic activity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Non-invasive functional imaging techniques have begun to delineate the underlying neurophysiological basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In the present study, we investigated slow (2-6 Hz) and fast (12.5-30 Hz) spontaneous magnetoencephalographic (MEG) activity in ten patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders compared to ten healthy control subjects. Fast MEG activity was significantly elevated in OCD patients. The corresponding dipole density maxima were concentrated on the left superior temporal gyrus. Although no differences were detected in the absolute dipole numbers between controls and OCD patients regarding slow MEG activity, only the latter showed a clustering of slow MEG activity over their left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We conclude that alterations of spontaneous MEG activity in prefrontal and temporal cortices may be linked to the pathogenesis of OCD. Therefore, we provide further functional neuroimaging evidence that the complex features of OCD have neural correlates, which may help in a future understanding of this disease.
Maihöfner
Christian
C
Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. christian.maihoefner@neuro.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Sperling
Wolfgang
W
Kaltenhäuser
Martin
M
Bleich
Stefan
S
de Zwaan
Martina
M
Wiltfang
Jens
J
Thürauf
Norbert
N
Elstner
Samuel
S
Reulbach
Udo
U
Lewczuk
Piotr
P
Kornhuber
Johannes
J
Ropohl
Axel
A
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors