Distinct functional connectivity of limbic network in the washing type obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Neurobiological models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) emphasize disturbances of the corticostriatal circuit, but it remains unclear as to how these complex network dysfunctions correspond to heterogeneous OCD phenotypes. We aimed to investigate corticostriatal functional connectivity alterations distinct to OCD characterized predominantly by contamination/washing symptoms. Functional connectivity strengths of the striatal seed regions with remaining brain regions during the resting condition and the contamination symptom provocation condition were compared among 13 OCD patients with predominant contamination/washing symptoms (CON), 13 OCD patients without these symptoms (NCON), and 18 healthy controls. The CON group showed distinctively altered functional connectivity between the ventral striatum and the insula during both the resting and symptom-provoking conditions. Also, the connectivity strength between the ventral striatum and the insula significantly correlated with contamination/washing symptom severity. As common connectivity alterations of the whole OCD subjects, corticostriatal circuits involving the orbitofrontal and temporal cortices were again confirmed. To our knowledge, this is the first study that examined specific abnormalities in functional connectivity of contamination/washing symptom dimension OCD. The findings suggest limbic network dysfunctions to play a pivotal role in contamination/washing symptoms, possibly associated with emotionally salient error awareness. Our study sample allowed us to evaluate the corticostriatal network dysfunction underlying the contamination/washing symptom dimension, which leaves other major symptom dimensions to be explored in the future.
Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, National Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
Kyungun
K
Jhung
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea.
Jeonghun
J
Ku
Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine & Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Se Joo
SJ
Kim
Department of Neurosurgery, MEG Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Hyeongrae
H
Lee
Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine & Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Kyung Ran
KR
Kim
Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine & Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Suk Kyoon
SK
An
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
Sun I
SI
Kim
Department of Neurosurgery, St. Peter's Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
Kang-Jun
KJ
Yoon
Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine & Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: leeeun@yuhs.ac.
Eun
E
Lee
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008032:Limbic System / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D010100:Oxygen
Functional neuroimaging; Obsessive–compulsive disorder; Symptom dimensions; Washing type; fMRI