A coordinate-based meta-analysis of grey matter volume differences between adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy controls

Antonio Del Casale; Stefano Ferracuti; Serena Mancino; Jan Francesco Arena; Irene Bilotta; Alessandro Alcibiade; Andrea Romano; Alessandro Bozzao; Maurizio Pompili

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111908

A coordinate-based meta-analysis of grey matter volume differences between adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy controls

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2024 Oct 5:345:111908. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111908. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Antonio Del Casale¹, Stefano Ferracuti², Serena Mancino³, Jan Francesco Arena⁴, Irene Bilotta³, Alessandro Alcibiade⁵, Andrea Romano⁶, Alessandro Bozzao⁶, Maurizio Pompili⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Unit of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.delcasale@uniroma1.it.
² Department of Human Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Unit of Risk Management, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy.
⁴ Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
⁵ Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; Marina Militare Italiana (Italian Navy), Ministry of Defence, Piazza della Marina, 4, 00196 Rome, Italy.
⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; Unit of Neuroradiology, 'Sant'Andrea' University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy.
⁷ Unit of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy.

PMID: 39396483
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111908

Abstract

According to the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the striatum plays a primary role in its neuropathophysiology. Hypothesising that volumetric alterations are more pronounced in subcortical areas of patients within the CSTC circuit compared to healthy controls (HCs), we conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. We included 26 whole-brain MRI studies, comprising 3,010 subjects: 1,508 patients (788 men, 720 women; mean age: 30.26 years, SD = 8.16) and 1,502 HCs (801 men, 701 women; mean age: 29.47 years, SD = 7.88). This meta-analysis demonstrated significant grey matter volume increases in the bilateral putamen, lateral globus pallidus, left parietal cortex, right pulvinar, and left cerebellum in adults with OCD, alongside decreases in the right hippocampus/caudate, bilateral medial frontal gyri, and other cortical regions. Volume increases were predominantly observed in subcortical areas, with the exception of the left parietal cortex and cerebellar dentate, while volume decreases were primarily cortical, aside from the right hippocampus/caudate. Further exploration of these neuropathophysiological correlates could inform specific prevention and treatment strategies, advancing precision mental health in clinical applications.

Keywords: Corpus striatum; Grey matter; Hippocampus; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neuroimaging; Obsessive-compulsive disorder.