Dj. Stein et al., MAGNETIC-RESONANCE BRAIN IMAGING IN WOMEN WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND TRICHOTILLOMANIA, PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH-NEUROIMAGING, 74(3), 1997, pp. 177-182
Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was undertaken in women with o
bsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 13), trichotillomania (n = 17), and
healthy controls (n = 12). Caudate volume and ventricular-brain ratio
(VBR) (variables that have previously been highlighted as abnormal in
studies of OCD) were compared in the three subject groups and were cor
related with neuropsychological and neurological soft sign findings. N
o significant differences were found between women with OCD, trichotil
lomania and normal controls on caudate volume or VBR. Decreased left c
audate volume was significantly correlated with impairment on neuropsy
chological testing and with increased neurological soft signs. The neg
ative findings here may indicate that in women with OCD and related di
sorders structural brain abnormalities are less obvious or less common
than in men with these conditions, or they may reflect inadequate sen
sitivity of the brain measures employed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ire
land Ltd.