Monday, July 21, 2008 2:02 PM
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR Brain Activity Shows Susceptibility to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder A recent study pinpointed a region of the brain affected in those with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). According to the study published in the July 18 issue of Science, an area of the brain associated with unlearning behavior and allowing for flexibility in behavior, the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, was under active in the brain’s of participants who were diagnosed with OCD or in unaffected relatives. The researchers believe that MRI scans measuring activity in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex could be useful for future research; however, they will most likely not be used for common screening of OCD as other detection tools are highly successful. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that discusses the study:
Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and their unaffected relatives showed less activity in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex on functional MRI compared with controls, reported Samuel R. Chamberlain, Ph.D., of the University of Cambridge, and colleagues in the July 18 issue of Science.
These findings from a small, case-control study suggest that this and related brain regions have an impact not only on day-to-day flexibility -- which involves the ability to suppress intrusive thoughts and repetitive rituals -- but also development of these pathologic compulsions, the researchers said.
Reduced function in brain areas related to unlearning may be a marker for vulnerability to obsessive-compulsive disorder "that exists in people at increased genetic risk, even in the absence of chronic treatment or symptom confounders," they wrote.
This kind of marker would likely be limited to research use for now since imaging is not needed for diagnosis or treatment decisions, commented Kenneth M. Heilman, M.D., of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., who was not involved in the study.
The disorder often runs in families, with first-degree relatives of patients at up to an eight-fold risk of developing symptoms themselves.
But because little progress has been made in finding responsible genes, researchers have been looking for brain-based markers as objective, measurable traits.
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Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D., Diplomate ABDA, is the Chief Executive Office at Brookhaven Hospital and the Vice President of Rehabilitation Institutes of America. Dr. Gainer has been involved in the design and operation of treatment programs since 1977.
Stephen Harnish, MD is the Medical Director of Brookhaven Hospital. Dr. Harnish is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and is well known in Oklahoma for his informative radio and television appearances.
Aric Thorpe, MHR, is Brookhaven Hospital's Pastoral Liaison Representative. He conducts the quarterly Minister's Lifeline series and provides mental health information to pastors and clergy.
Sarah McGee, BA, serves as the Community Education Provider for Brookhaven Hospital. She provides information on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment to healthcare professionals in Oklahoma and surrounding states. |
