Abstract:
Despite the similarities across anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, little is known about the neurobiological differences that might distinguish these two types of disorders. In this study, we directly compared the functional connectivity patterns of large-scale brain networks in a group of youth with OCD to a group of youth with non-OCD anxiety. Specifically, resting-state functional connectivity was used to determine connectivity strength within and between the orbitofrontal-striatal-thalamic (OST) circuit, the cingulo-opercular network (CON), and the default mode network (DMN). The results of the current study identified greater functional connectivity within the CON, as well as between the CON and OST, in the OCD group as compared to the anxiety and healthy control groups. These findings indicate that previously noted network connectivity differences in pediatric patients with OCD were likely not attributable to co-morbid anxiety disorders. Additional conclusions from these analyses and their relevance for improving clinical outcomes will be discussed, as well as limitations of the current project. This talk will also include a discussion of ongoing and future projects that are designed to build from this work, specifically exploring questions about the neurobiological correlates of psychopathology using alternative classification frameworks.