Layer-specific reduced neuronal density in the orbitofrontal cortex of older adults with obsessive–compulsive disorder

• Published in: Brain Structure and Function Vol. 224; no. 1; pp. 191 - 203
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Katia Cristina, Grinberg, Lea Tenenholz, Hoexter, Marcelo Queiroz, Brentani, Helena, Suemoto, Claudia Kimie, Nery, Fabiano Gonçalves, Lima, Luzia Carreira, Alho, Ana Tereza Di Lorenzo, Farfel, José Marcelo, Ferretti-Rebustini, Renata Eloah de Lucena, Leite, Renata Elaine Paraizo, Moretto, Ariane Cristine, da Silva, Alexandre Valotta, Lafer, Beny, Miguel, Eurípedes Constantino, Nitrini, Ricardo, Jacob-Filho, Wilson, Heinsen, Helmut, Pasqualucci, Carlos Augusto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-01-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Autopsy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Cognitive ability; Cortex; Information processing; Motivation; Neurology; Neurosciences; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Original Article; Sensory neurons; Statistical analysis; Human brain; Obsessive–compulsive disorder; Cerebral cortex; Biomedical research; Cell count; Obsessive–compulsive symptoms
• ISSN: 1863-2653; 1863-2661; 0340-2061
• DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1752-8

Neurobiological models have provided consistent evidence of the involvement of cortical–subcortical circuitry in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), involved in motivation and emotional responses, is an important regulatory node within this circuitry. However, OFC abnormalities at the cellular level have so far not been studied. To address this question, we have recruited a total of seven senior individuals from the Sao Paulo Autopsy Services who were diagnosed with OCD after an extensive post-mortem clinical evaluation with their next of kin. Patients with cognitive impairment were excluded. The OCD cases were age- and sex-matched with 7 control cases and a total of 14 formalin-fixed, serially cut, and gallocyanin-stained hemispheres (7 subjects with OCD and 7 controls) were analyzed stereologically. We estimated laminar neuronal density, volume of the anteromedial (AM), medial orbitofrontal (MO), and anterolateral (AL) areas of the OFC. We found statistically significant layer- and region-specific lower neuron densities in our OCD cases that added to a deficit of 25% in AM and AL and to a deficit of 21% in MO, respectively. The volumes of the OFC areas were similar between the OCD and control groups. These results provide evidence of complex layer and region-specific neuronal deficits/loss in old OCD cases which could have a considerable impact on information processing within orbitofrontal regions and with afferent and efferent targets.