title: Imbalanced functional link between reward circuits and the cognitive control system in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: Altered reward processing and cognitive deficits are often observed in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, whether the imbalance in activity between reward circuits and the cognitive control (CC) system is associated with compulsive behavior remains unknown. Sixty-eight OCD patients and 33 cognitively normal (CN) healthy subjects participated in this resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Alterations in the functional connectivity between reward circuits and the CC system were quantitatively assessed and compared between the groups. A Granger causality analysis was used to determine the causal informational influence between and within reward circuits and the CC system across all subjects. OCD patients showed a dichotomous pattern of enhanced functional coupling in their reward circuits and a weakened functional coupling in their CC system when compared to CN subjects. Neural correlates of compulsive behavior were primarily located in the reward circuits and CC system in OCD patients. Importantly, the CC system exerted a reduced interregional causal influence over the reward system in OCD patients relative to its effect in CN subjects. The limitations of this study are that it was a cross-sectional study and the potential effects of environmental and genetic factors were not explored. OCD patients showed an imbalance in the functional link between reward circuits and the CC system at rest. This bias toward a loss of control may define a pathological state in which subjects are more vulnerable to engaging in compulsive behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, Medical School, Southeast University, No. 87 DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009. chmxie@163.com.
authors.forename: Chunming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210029.
authors.forename: Lisha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, PLA Army General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210029.
authors.forename: Ruyan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Advanced Health Center, Affiliated Zhangda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, Medical School, Southeast University, No. 87 DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, Medical School, Southeast University, No. 87 DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009.
authors.forename: Cancan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210029.
authors.forename: Chaoyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210029. xushu232@sina.com.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, Medical School, Southeast University, No. 87 DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009.
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012146:Rest; D012201:Reward
keywords: Cognitive control system; Informational influence; Intrinsic functional connectivity; Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Reward circuits