Journal
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY & NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 40, Issue 4, Pages 232-240Publisher
CMA-CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOC
DOI: 10.1503/jpn.140118
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Funding
- Carlos III Health Institute
- Agencia de Gestio d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca-AGAUR (Spain) [PI09/01331, CP10/00604, PI10/01753, PI12/01306, PI13/00918, PI13/01958, PI14/00413, CIBER-CB06/03/0034, 2014SGR1672]
- Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP, Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil) [2011/21357-9]
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) [302463/2011-9]
- FAPESP [2013/10498-6, 2013/00506-1, 2011/00968-0, 2013/22536-0, 2013/16864-4]
- IDIBELL (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute)
- Miguel Servet contract from the Carlos III Health Institute [CP10/00604]
- Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) [11/21357-9, 11/00968-0, 13/00506-1] Funding Source: FAPESP
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Background Sensory phenomena (SP) are uncomfortable feelings, including bodily sensations, sense of inner tension, just-right perceptions, feelings of incompleteness, or urge-only phenomena, which have been described to precede, trigger or accompany repetitive behaviours in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Sensory phenomena are also observed in individuals with tic disorders, and previous research suggests that sensorimotor cortex abnormalities underpin the presence of SP in such patients. However, to our knowledge, no studies have assessed the neural correlates of SP in patients with OCD. Methods We assessed the presence of SP using the University of SAo Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale in patients with OCD and healthy controls from specialized units in SAo Paulo, Brazil, and Barcelona, Spain. All participants underwent a structural magnetic resonance examination, and brain images were examined using DARTEL voxel-based morphometry. We evaluated grey matter volume differences between patients with and without SP and healthy controls within the sensorimotor and premotor cortices. Results We included 106 patients with OCD and 87 controls in our study. Patients with SP (67% of the sample) showed grey matter volume increases in the left sensorimotor cortex in comparison to patients without SP and bilateral sensorimotor cortex grey matter volume increases in comparison to controls. No differences were observed between patients without SP and controls. Limitations Most patients were medicated. Participant recruitment and image acquisition were performed in 2 different centres. Conclusion We have identified a structural correlate of SP in patients with OCD involving grey matter volume increases within the sensorimotor cortex; this finding is in agreement with those of tic disorder studies showing that abnormal activity and volume increases within this region are associated with the urges preceding tic onset.
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