Objective

Subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms are frequently observed in children and have been reported to predict a subsequent diagnosis of OC disorder (OCD). Therefore, identifying the putative neurobiological signatures of such risk is crucial, because it would allow for the characterization of the underpinnings of OCD without the interfering effects of chronicity, medication, or comorbidities, especially when interpreted within the context of OCD clinical heterogeneity and taking into account normal neurodevelopmental changes. The present study aimed to identify the brain volumetric features associated with subclinical OC symptoms and the potential modulatory effects of sex and age in a large sample of healthy children.

Method

Two hundred fifty-five healthy children were assessed using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Child Version and underwent a brain structural magnetic resonance examination. The relation between total and symptom-specific scores and regional gray and white matter (GM and WM) volumes was evaluated. Participants were grouped according to sex and age (younger versus older) to assess the effect of these factors on symptom–brain morphometry associations.

Results

Ordering symptoms were negatively related to GM volumes in the ventral caudate. Hoarding symptoms were positively associated with GM and WM volumes in the left inferior frontal gyrus, and obsessing symptoms correlated negatively with GM and WM volumes in the right temporal pole. Doubt-checking symptoms correlated positively with WM volumes in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the corpus callosum. Sex and age modulated some of these associations.

Conclusion

Subclinical OC symptoms are associated with specific brain volumetric features, which could be considered potential neural signatures of increased risk for OCD.

中文翻译：

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健康儿童亚临床强迫症症状的脑结构相关性

客观的

在儿童中经常观察到亚临床强迫症（OC）症状，并已报道其可预测出随后的OC障碍（OCD）诊断。因此，确定这种风险的假定的神经生物学特征至关重要，因为它可以表征OCD的基础而没有慢性，药物或合并症的干扰作用，特别是在OCD临床异质性背景下进行解释并考虑到解释正常的神经发育变化。本研究旨在确定与亚临床OC症状相关的脑容量特征，以及大量健康儿童样本中性别和年龄的潜在调节作用。

方法

使用强迫症量表-儿童版对255名健康儿童进行了评估，并进行了脑结构磁共振检查。评估了总得分和症状特定得分与区域灰和白质（GM和WM）量之间的关系。根据性别和年龄（年龄相对于年龄）将参与者分组，以评估这些因素对症状-大脑形态计量学关联的影响。

结果

有序症状与腹侧尾状核中的GM量呈负相关。积症状与左下额回中的GM和WM量呈正相关，而强迫症的症状与右颞极的GM和WM量呈负相关。怀疑检查症状与右下额枕筋膜和call体的WM量呈正相关。性别和年龄调节了其中一些关联。

结论

亚临床OC症状与特定的脑容量特征有关，可以认为这是强迫症风险增加的潜在神经特征。