Progress of obsessive-compulsive disorder in diffusion tensor imaging

Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a noninvasive MRI technique for measuring the integrity and direction of white matter in the brain, is a promising method to explore the pathogenesis of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). At present, the etiological research of OCD suggests that, in addition to the classical cortical-striatum-thalamus-cortical (CSTC)circuit, the parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and other regions of the brain are also involved in the pathogenesis of OCD. White matter fibers are important structure of material information communication in various brain regions and affected by individual neurodevelopment. Therefore, it is very important to explore the characteristics of white matter fiber in the brain of patients with OCD by using diffusion tensor imaging technology clarifying its role in the occurrence of OCD. This paper reviews the studies on uncinate fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, corpus callosum in adult DTI studies and the progress of DTI studies on children and adolescents. Key words: Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Diffusion tensor imaging; Diffusion tractography