A comparative study of single photon emission computed tomography between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder' anxiety disorder and depressive disorder

Objective To explore the characteristics of the regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) and the diagnostic value of brain SPECT in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD). Methods SPECT were performed in 13 OCD subjects,19 normal subjects,7 patients with anxiety disorder and 5 patients with depressive disorder to compare the difference in cerebral perfusion. Results The value in SPECT radioactive counts ratio in left temporoccipital lobe was lower in OCD patients than in normal subjects( P 0.05 ).The difference of the ratio of SPECT between left and right cerebral was significantly different between severe and mild OCD patients in posterior caudate nucleus( P 0.05).The rCBF of left cortex was significantly lower than of right cortex( P 0.05 or P 0.01).Compared with anxiety disorder, the rCBF ratio of left temporoccipital lobe and both left and right antoccipital lobe were significantly lower in OCD patients( P 0.05 or P 0.01). There was no significantly difference of rCBF ratio in every region of interest(ROI) between OCD patients and depressive disorder( P 0.05). Conclusion There are functional disorder in temporal lobe and caudate nucleus in OCD patients. The cerebral perfusion in cortex is obvious asymmetry. The cerebral perfusion in OCD is different from anxiety neurosis, but not from depressive disorder.