Comprehensive evaluation of cortical structure abnormalities in drug-naïve, adult patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A surface-based morphometry study

• Published in: Journal of psychiatric research Vol. 46; no. 9; pp. 1161 - 1168
• Main Authors: Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan, Zutshi, Amit, Jindal, Sachin, Srikanth, Subbamma G, Kovoor, Jerry M.E, Kumar, J. Keshav, Janardhan Reddy, Y.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cerebral Cortex - pathology; Cingulate gyrus; Cortex; Cortical thickness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Gyrification; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Impressions; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - pathology; Obsessive-compulsive disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive neuroses; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severity; Symptoms; Young Adult; Gyrification; Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Cortical thickness; Cingulate gyrus; Human; Evaluation; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Central nervous system; Anxiety disorder; Encephalon; Surface; Cingulate cortex; Adult; Morphometry
• ISSN: 0022-3956; 1879-1379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.06.003

Abstract The study objective was to comprehensively evaluate drug-naïve, adult patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for cortical structure abnormalities in comparison with healthy controls. In this cross-sectional study of case–control design, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (1-mm) was performed in drug-naïve OCD patients ( N  = 50) & age- sex-, education- and handedness-matched healthy controls ( N  = 40). We examined cortical volume, thickness, surface area & local Gyrification Index (LGI) through a completely automated surface-based morphometric analysis using FreeSurfer software. OCD symptoms and insight were assessed using Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Symptom (Y-BOCS) check-list and severity scale. Illness severity was assessed using Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) Scale. OCD patients had significantly deficient volume, thickness and surface area of right anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). Right lingual gyrus surface area was found to be significantly decreased in patients. Y-BOCS obsession score had significant negative correlation with left frontal pole volume. Y-BOCS compulsion score had significant negative correlations with right ACG volume and surface area and right lateral orbitofrontal cortex LGI. CGI-Severity score had significant negative correlations with right lingual gyrus volume, thickness and surface area as well as right lateral orbitofrontal area. Y-BOCS insight score showed a significant negative correlation with LGI of left medial OFC and left rostral ACG. Identification of novel deficits involving occipital brain regions and first-time observations of relevant correlations between various illness characteristics and cortical measures in OCD patients supports a network involving anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal and occipital brain regions in the pathogenesis of OCD.