Thalamic Subregions and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in 2,500 Children From the General Population. 2022

Cees J Weeland, and Chris Vriend, and Ysbrand van der Werf, and Chaim Huyser, and Manon Hillegers, and Henning Tiemeier, and Tonya White, and Odile A van den Heuvel
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: c.j.weeland@amsterdamumc.nl.

Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and clinically relevant obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the general population are associated with increased thalamic volume. It is unknown whether this enlargement is explained by specific thalamic subregions. The relation between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and volume of thalamic subregions was investigated in a population-based sample of children. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were measured in children (9-12 years of age) from the Generation R Study using the Short Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Screener (SOCS). Thalamic nuclei volumes were extracted from structural 3T magnetic resonance imaging scans using the ThalamicNuclei pipeline and regrouped into anterior, ventral, intralaminar/medial, lateral, and pulvinar subregions. Volumes were compared between children with symptoms above clinical cutoff (probable OCD cases, SOCS ≥ 6, n = 156) and matched children without symptoms (n = 156). Linear regression models were fitted to investigate the association between continuous SOCS score and subregional volume in the whole sample (N = 2500). Children with probable OCD had larger ventral nuclei compared with children without symptoms (d = 0.25, p = .025, false discovery rate adjusted p = .126). SOCS score showed a negative association with pulvinar volume when accounting for overall thalamic volume (β = -0.057, p = .009, false discovery rate adjusted p = .09). However, these associations did not survive multiple testing correction. The results suggest that individual nuclei groups contribute in varying degrees to overall thalamic volume in children with probable OCD, although this did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Understanding the role of thalamic nuclei and their associated circuits in pediatric OCD could lead toward treatment strategies targeting these circuits.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D009771 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, persistent obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are the intrusive ideas, thoughts, or images that are experienced as senseless or repugnant. Compulsions are repetitive and seemingly purposeful behavior which the individual generally recognizes as senseless and from which the individual does not derive pleasure although it may provide a release from tension. Anankastic Personality,Neurosis, Obsessive-Compulsive,Anankastic Personalities,Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive,Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive,Neuroses, Obsessive-Compulsive,Neurosis, Obsessive Compulsive,Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders,Obsessive-Compulsive Neuroses,Obsessive-Compulsive Neurosis,Personalities, Anankastic,Personality, Anankastic
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013788 Thalamus Paired bodies containing mostly GRAY MATTER and forming part of the lateral wall of the THIRD VENTRICLE of the brain. Thalamencephalon,Thalamencephalons

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