BACKGROUND: Functional imaging studies have demonstrated abnormal patterns of brain activity in obsessive-compulsive disorder, which consistently suggest the alteration of frontal lobe functioning. We performed a brain activation study in obsessive-compulsive disorder using a cognitive task involving the frontal lobes. METHODS: Twenty patients and 20 healthy control subjects were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a phonologically guided word generation task. The study analysis was based on the comparison of group average time-course functional changes occurring at the site of largest frontal cortex activation during alternating rest and task periods. RESULTS: In terms of relative signal changes, patients showed a significantly greater activation during word generation and a defective suppression of this activation during the following rest period. Both abnormal imaging findings significantly correlated with the severity of the clinical process assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that functional magnetic resonance imaging during cognitive challenge may be useful to reveal distinctive features of latent brain dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND: Functional imaging studies have demonstrated abnormal patterns of brain activity in obsessive-compulsive disorder, which consistently suggest the alteration of frontal lobe functioning. We performed a brain activation study in obsessive-compulsive disorder using a cognitive task involving the frontal lobes. METHODS: Twenty patients and 20 healthy control subjects were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a phonologically guided word generation task. The study analysis was based on the comparison of group average time-course functional changes occurring at the site of largest frontal cortex activation during alternating rest and task periods. RESULTS: In terms of relative signal changes, patients showed a significantly greater activation during word generation and a defective suppression of this activation during the following rest period. Both abnormal imaging findings significantly correlated with the severity of the clinical process assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that functional magnetic resonance imaging during cognitive challenge may be useful to reveal distinctive features of latent brain dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Authors: Luca Cocchi; Ben J Harrison; Jesus Pujol; Ian H Harding; Alex Fornito; Christos Pantelis; Murat Yücel Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2011-05-24 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Jesus Pujol; Carles Soriano-Mas; Juan D Gispert; Matías Bossa; Santiago Reig; Hector Ortiz; Pino Alonso; Narcís Cardoner; Marina López-Solà; Ben J Harrison; Joan Deus; José M Menchón; Manuel Desco; Salvador Olmos Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2010-07-06 Impact factor: 5.038