TY - JOUR
T1 - Abnormal white-matter rich-club organization in obsessive–compulsive disorder
AU - Baldi, Samantha
AU - Michielse, Stijn
AU - Vriend, Chris
AU - van den Heuvel, Martijn P.
AU - van den Heuvel, Odile A.
AU - Schruers, Koen R.J.
AU - Goossens, Liesbet
N1 - Funding Information: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, Grant/Award Number: NARSAD Young Investigators Award 2009; Netherlands Brain Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 2010(1)‐50; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (VENI grant 2007‐2012), Grant/Award Number: #916.86.036 Funding information Funding Information: This study was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (VENI grant 2007‐2012, #916.86.036 to Dr. Odile A. van den Heuvel), the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD Young Investigators Award 2009, to Dr. Odile A. van den Heuvel), the Netherlands Brain Foundation (2010[1]‐50, to Dr. Odile A. van den Heuvel). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2022/10/15
Y1 - 2022/10/15
N2 - Rich-club organization is key to efficient global neuronal signaling and integration of information. Alterations interfere with higher-order cognitive processes, and are common to several psychiatric and neurological conditions. A few studies examining the structural connectome in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) suggest lower efficiency of information transfer across the brain. However, it remains unclear whether this is due to alterations in rich-club organization. In the current study, the structural connectome of 28 unmedicated OCD patients, 8 of their unaffected siblings and 28 healthy controls was reconstructed by means of diffusion-weighted imaging and probabilistic tractography. Topological and weighted measures of rich-club organization and connectivity were computed, alongside global and nodal measures of network integration and segregation. The relationship between clinical scores and network properties was explored. Compared to healthy controls, OCD patients displayed significantly lower topological and weighted rich-club organization, allocating a smaller fraction of all connection weights to the rich-club core. Global clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and clustering of nonrich club nodes were significantly higher in OCD patients. Significant three-group differences emerged, with siblings displaying highest and lowest values in different measures. No significant correlation with any clinical score was found. Our results suggest weaker structural connectivity between rich-club nodes in OCD patients, possibly resulting in lower network integration in favor of higher network segregation. We highlight the need of looking at network-based alterations in brain organization and function when investigating the neurobiological basis of this disorder, and stimulate further research into potential familial protective factors against the development of OCD.
AB - Rich-club organization is key to efficient global neuronal signaling and integration of information. Alterations interfere with higher-order cognitive processes, and are common to several psychiatric and neurological conditions. A few studies examining the structural connectome in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) suggest lower efficiency of information transfer across the brain. However, it remains unclear whether this is due to alterations in rich-club organization. In the current study, the structural connectome of 28 unmedicated OCD patients, 8 of their unaffected siblings and 28 healthy controls was reconstructed by means of diffusion-weighted imaging and probabilistic tractography. Topological and weighted measures of rich-club organization and connectivity were computed, alongside global and nodal measures of network integration and segregation. The relationship between clinical scores and network properties was explored. Compared to healthy controls, OCD patients displayed significantly lower topological and weighted rich-club organization, allocating a smaller fraction of all connection weights to the rich-club core. Global clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and clustering of nonrich club nodes were significantly higher in OCD patients. Significant three-group differences emerged, with siblings displaying highest and lowest values in different measures. No significant correlation with any clinical score was found. Our results suggest weaker structural connectivity between rich-club nodes in OCD patients, possibly resulting in lower network integration in favor of higher network segregation. We highlight the need of looking at network-based alterations in brain organization and function when investigating the neurobiological basis of this disorder, and stimulate further research into potential familial protective factors against the development of OCD.
KW - connectivity
KW - diffusion-weighted imaging
KW - obsessive–compulsive disorder
KW - probabilistic tractography
KW - rich-club organization
KW - structural networks
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U2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25984
DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25984
M3 - Article
C2 - 35735129
SN - 1065-9471
VL - 43
SP - 4699
EP - 4709
JO - Human brain mapping
JF - Human brain mapping
IS - 15
ER -