Imaging of Compulsive Syndromes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Compulsive patterns of behaviour in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
IRAS ID
143996
Contact name
Steven Williams
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Research summary
Compulsivity is a cross-disorder trait of several distinct psychiatric disorders that emerge in early childhood, such as autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Compulsivity is defined as the repetitive irresistible urge to perform particular behaviours.
ASD is characterised by deficits in reciprocal social interaction and communication and by restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour. ASD has onset prior to age three years with strong persistence over time in childhood, over adolescence and into adulthood.
OCD is characterised by repetitive thoughts, impulses or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions). It has its onset in late childhood.
Repetitive and compulsive behaviours are core features of both ASD and OCD. In this study the focus will be on compulsive behaviours in both clinical populations and the developmental links between compulsivity, impulsivity and addiction.
Compulsivity and impulsivity are characterised by behavioural disinhibition maintained by dysfunction of neural connections between frontal regions of the brain and the striatum (Fineberg et al, 2010). Increased striatal activity or decreased activity in prefrontal regions may cause an increase tendency for executing impulsive or compulsive behaviours, depending on the subcomponent affected. Other studies have typically investigated each region in isolation. We will focus on abnormalities in functional and anatomical brain connectivity between prefrontal components and components of the striatum.
Furthermore, glutamate/glutamine imbalances have been observed in frontal and striatal regions in paediatric OCD (MacMaster et al, 2008).
The objectives of this study are to examine whether 1) structural and functional abnormalities of frontal-striatal circuits are related to the development of compulsive and impulsive behaviour in OCD and ASD; and 2) whether the glutamate system is a key modulator in these circuits. Other objectives are to identify genetic mechanisms underlying compulsive behaviours and to identify biomarkers for the compulsivity trait.
The study will be a mixed cross-sectional longitudinal design with assessments at two points, three years apart. Measurements will be: magnetic resonance imaging (structural, functions, diffusion tensor & resting state; to study frontal-striatal circuits), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (to study the glutamate system), cognition and behaviour. We will also assess compulsivity- and impulsivity-related behaviours as well as measures of addiction. Blood samples will be taken for genetic analysis and assessment of biomarkers.
One hundred and eighty children will be studied at four centres (two in the Netherlands and one in Germany. KCL will be the only centre in the UK): 60 with ASD, 60 with OCD and 60 control subjects. The groups with be split evenly across the four centres (45 subjects, 15 from each subgroup at KCL). Subjects will be in the aged 8 – 12 years with IQ > 70. Control subjects will be matched by age and IQ.REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1413
Date of REC Opinion
19 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion