A diffusion tensor imaging study in schizophrenia patients with clozapine induced obsessive compulsive symptoms

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate brain connectivity by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in schizophrenia patients with clozapine-induced obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS).

Methods Eighteen schizophrenia patients, nine of which had clozapine-induced OCS (Clz-OCS (+)), 9 without OCS (Clz-OCS (−)) and 9 healthy controls were included. Psychopathology was evaluated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Yale-Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale in the patient groups. All groups were assesed with neurocognitive tests and DTI.

Results Tract-Based Spatial Statistics based comparison of DTI revealed lower fractional anisotropy in the genu of corpus callosum (CC), right cingulum, left frontal white matter (WM) in the Clz-OCS (+) group, compared to controls. Fractional anisotropy was found to be lower in the bilateral occipital WM and higher in the bilateral medial temporal regions, anterior limb of internal capsule, cingulum, frontoparietal peripheral WM, right external capsule and genu of CC in Clz-OCS (+) patients compared to Clz-OCS (−).

Conclusions WM integrity in several pathways such as cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuitry and orbito-frontal tracts seems to be affected differently in patients with Clz-OCS (+). Different neuroplastic effects of clozapine leading to occurrence of OCS in a subgroup of patients is possible, and needs further evaluation by longitudinal follow-up studies.