Voxel-Based Morphometry Study of Gray Matter Abnormalities in Neurodegenerative Disease with Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors

Objectives : Obsessive-compulsive(OC) symptoms have yet to be directly studied in neurodegenerative conditions involving behavioral changes. To examine regional abnormalities in the brains of dementia patients with OC symptoms, we assessed the gray matter density using voxel-based morphometry(VBM). Methods : We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) with VBM analysis in 106 dementia patients with OC behaviors. In this study, OC behaviors were investigated in patients with neurodegenerative disease using the modified Manchester Behavior Questionnaire. Results : The OC behavior scores were correlated with structural brain volume using VBM. The total OC symptom score correlated negatively with the volume of both putamens, the right middle orbitofrontal gyrus, both anterior cingulate cortices, and the left insula(p<0.001, uncorrected). No gray matter reductions were associated specifically with the OC symptom sub-categories. Conclusions : Our results suggest that abnormalities in these brain regions may play an important role in the pathophysiology of OCD in neurodegenerative disease. This is the first lesion study to investigate the neural basis of OCD behaviors in neurodegenerative disease.