Dr. Rosenberg et al., CORPUS CALLOSAL MORPHOLOGY IN TREATMENT-NAIVE PEDIATRIC OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER, Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 21(8), 1997, pp. 1269-1283
1. Abnormalities in association circuits have been described in Obsess
ive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and may reflect neurodevelopmental abnor
malities. Primary and association cortices are topographically mapped
in the corpus callosum (CC). The authors hypothesized alterations in C
C subdivisions that connect association, but not primary cortices in p
ediatric OCD. The authors predicted that normal age-related increases
in CC area would be absent in OCD. 2. The authors compared the midsagi
ttal magnetic resonance images of 21 psychotropic-naive, nondepressed
OCD patients, 7.2-17.7 years, and 21 case-matched healthy controls. To
tal CC area as well as that of the anterior, middle and posterior genu
, anterior and posterior bodies, isthmus, and the anterior, middle and
the posterior splenii were measured. 3. All of the CC regions except
the isthmus were significantly larger in OCD patients than in controls
. CC area correlated significantly with OCD symptom severity but not i
llness duration The age-related increase in CC size seen in normal sub
jects was absent in OCD patients. 4. These findings support theories o
f abnormal association cortex development in OCD but also suggest poss
ible abnormalities of other primary cortical regions as well.