Abstract
Background: Neuroimaging studies have shown that the high synchrony of spontaneous neural activity in the homotopic regions between hemispheres is an important functional structural feature of normal human brains, and this feature is abnormal in the patients with various mental disorders. However, little is known about this feature in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). This study aimed to further analyze the underlying neural mechanisms of OCD and to explore whether clinical characteristics are correlated with the alerted homotopic connectivity in patients with OCD. Methods: Using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) during resting state, we compared 46 OCD patients and 46 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age, gender, and education level. A partial correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between altered VMHC and clinical characteristics in patients with OCD. Results: Patients with OCD showed lower VMHC than HCs in fusiform gyrus/inferior occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, postcentral gyrus/precentral gyrus, putamen, and orbital frontal gyrus. A significant positive correlation was observed between altered VMHC in the angular gyrus/middle occipital gyrus and illness duration in patients. Conclusions: Interhemispheric functional imbalance may be an essential aspect of the pathophysiological mechanism of OCD, which is reflected not only in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop but also elsewhere in the brain.
Highlights
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (r-fMRI) technology indirectly reflects the intrinsic, spontaneous neural activity of the brain and can be used to measure resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between brain regions directly [1]
There were no statistical differences in gender, age, education level, and mean framewise displacement (mean framewise displacement (FD)) between 46 obsessive– compulsive disorder (OCD) and 46 healthy controls (HCs)
We found decreased Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) within CSTC circuitry, the fusiform gyrus/inferior occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, and postcentral gyrus/precentral gyrus in patients with OCD relative to controls
Summary
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (r-fMRI) technology indirectly reflects the intrinsic, spontaneous neural activity of the brain and can be used to measure resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between brain regions directly [1]. Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) is an R-fMRI analysis method proposed by Zuo XN in recent years [2]. Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity in OCD activity between homotopic regions in healthy human brains, showing regional differences consistent with brain function levels [3, 4]. High synchronicity of spontaneous neural activity between homotopic regions is considered an important feature of normal brain function. Neuroimaging studies have shown that the high synchrony of spontaneous neural activity in the homotopic regions between hemispheres is an important functional structural feature of normal human brains, and this feature is abnormal in the patients with various mental disorders.
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