Dysfunction between dorsal caudate and salience network associated with impaired cognitive flexibility in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A resting-state fMRI study

Abstract

BackgroundImpaired cognitive flexibility has been implicated in the genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Recent endophenotype studies of OCD showed neural inefficiency in the cognitive control network and interference by the limbic network of the cognitive control network. Exploring the relationship between the functional brain network and impaired cognitive flexibility may provide novel information about the neurobiological basis of OCD.MethodsWe obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) scans and measured the cognitive flexibility of 37 medication-free OCD patients and 40 healthy control (HC) participants using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). We explored the difference between OCD and HC groups in the functional brain network related to impaired cognitive flexibility from the amygdala and dorsal striatal regions of interest (ROIs) by using a seed-based approach.ResultsSignificant differences between the OCD and HC groups were identified in the resting state functional network from the dorsal caudate. Increased functional connectivity from the dorsal caudate to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and anterior insula (AI) was associated with poorer cognitive flexibility in the OCD group, but better cognitive flexibility in the HC group.ConclusionsThese results provide evidence that the impaired cognitive flexibility of OCD may be associated with dysfunctions of the brain network from the dorsal caudate (DC) to important nodes of the salience network. Our results extend the neuropsychological model of OCD by showing intrinsically different associations between OCD and HC in functional network and cognitive flexibility.

Increased functional connectivity between presupplementary motor area and inferior frontal gyrus associated with the ability of motor response inhibition in obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…We employed the same inclusion and exclusion criteria as described in our previous literature (Tomiyama et al, 2019). We recruited only OCD patients who were clinically diagnosed with no another Axis I disorder.…”

“…We employed the same clinical assessment as described in our previous literature (Tomiyama et al, 2019). All OCD patients were interviewed by using the Japanese version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) (Nakajima et al, 1995) to assess the severity of OCD symptoms.…”

“…We employed the same method for image data acquisition and preprocessing as described in our previous report (Tomiyama et al, 2019). MRI data was acquired by using a 3.0-Tesla MRI scanner and there was no significant difference between OCD and HC groups in arousal level during the functional scan (Table 1).…”

Aberrant Resting-State Cerebellar-Cerebral Functional Connectivity in Unmedicated Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

“…The preprocessing and processing of image data acquired in this study were described in our previous study (42). All participants underwent MRI scanning on a 3.0-Tesla MRI scanner (Achieva TX, Phillips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) equipped with standard phased array head coils.…”

Moral judgments in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a narrative mini-review

“…A recent neuroimaging study, recruiting resting-state fMRI, has revealed that dysfunction of the connectivity between dorsal caudate and salience network, including the anterior insula and dorsal ACC, is related to impaired cognitive flexibility in OCD patients. However, whether this functional impairment has a causal role in the development of OCD is yet to be determined (Tomiyama et al, 2019).…”