AI Article Synopsis

  • Anxiety disorders are associated with an overactive cortico-amygdalar circuit, but the specific role of the amygdala in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not well understood.
  • An fMRI study with 14 unmedicated OCD patients and 14 control subjects found that patients exhibited higher fronto-striatal activation in response to OCD-related images compared to neutral and aversive stimuli.
  • The results indicated that while OCD patients showed heightened amygdala engagement for symptom-related triggers, this was also observed for negative stimuli, suggesting a broader emotional hyperactivity rather than a response unique to OCD symptoms.

Article Abstract

Anxiety disorders have been linked to a hyperactivated cortico-amygdalar circuitry, but the amygdala's role in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) remains unclear. This fMRI study examined the cortico-limbic correlates of individually tailored symptom provocation in 14 unmedicated OCD patients and 14 controls. In addition to OCD-relevant pictures, aversive and neutral control stimuli were included. Patients showed increased fronto-striatal activation to OCD-relevant stimuli contrasted with both control categories. Briefly presented symptom-related triggers elicited stronger amygdala engagement in patients than in controls. This effect, however, did also occur to aversive stimuli and was not symptom specific. Augmented amygdala involvement in patients reflects general emotional hyperarousal. Symptom-specific frontal activation points towards a sustained endeavor to suppress exaggerated emotional responses to OCD triggers.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.00980.xDOI Listing

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