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| health information | health news

Brain scans show OCD risk

28 November 2007

Key facts

OCD affects two to three percent of the UK population.
OCD is often diagnosed in young adults and affects more women than men.
People with OCD are often fuelled by irrational fears and thoughts that cause them anxiety or distress. To stop or cancel out these thoughts they repeat certain actions such as hand washing, touching, counting or arranging objects.
The symptoms vary from mild to severe.
Psychological therapies such as counselling can help manage the condition.
Medicines are available to help people who are severely affected.

Brain scans may help identify people at risk of developing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), new research shows.

The study, carried out by researchers in the Brain Mapping Unit at the University of Cambridge, found people with OCD and their close relatives have distinctive patterns in their brain structure.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists scanned the brains of 31 people with OCD and their healthy relatives, as well as a group of unrelated healthy people.

Participants also completed a computerised test that involved pressing a left or right button as quickly as possible when arrows appeared. When a beep noise sounded, they had to attempt to stop their responses. This task measured the ability to stop repetitive behaviours.

People with OCD and their close relatives didn't perform as well as healthy people in the computer task. The brain scans found there was less grey matter in areas important in suppressing responses and habits.

The findings, reported in the journal Brain, are the first to link a change in anatomy with OCD. The researchers believe they have the potential to pave the way to better diagnosis and management of the disorder.

Dr Lara Menzies lead author of the study said, "These brain changes appear to run in families and represent a genetic risk factor for developing the condition."

However, she admitted that there is a long way to go to identify the genes that contribute to the distinctive brain structure found in OCD patients and their close relatives.

Further studies are needed to identify other contributing factors for OCD and to understand why close relatives who share similar brain structures don't always develop the disorder.