Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study
Background: Compared to healthy individuals, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are found to rely more on model-free decision-making strategies which may underlie symptom expression. It is, however, unclear whether these behavioral differences are represented in neural alterations of...
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003611 |
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| author | Pritha Sen Kathrin Koch Benita Schmitz-Koep Deniz Gürsel Franziska Knolle |
| author_facet | Pritha Sen Kathrin Koch Benita Schmitz-Koep Deniz Gürsel Franziska Knolle |
| author_sort | Pritha Sen |
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| description | Background: Compared to healthy individuals, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are found to rely more on model-free decision-making strategies which may underlie symptom expression. It is, however, unclear whether these behavioral differences are represented in neural alterations of model-free and model-based decision-making when tested simultaneously. Methods: We investigated the neural signatures of 22 OCD patients and 22 matched controls who completed a two-step Markov decision-making task during functional MRI scanning. We used hierarchical Bayesian modelling and Bayesian statistics to examine model-based and model-free decision-making behaviors. Parametric regressors were employed for model-free and model-based reward prediction errors to inform neural reward presentation, which we analyzed using a Bayesian Multilevel Modeling (BML) approach. Associations between significant activations and symptoms as well as cognitive scores were explored using Bayesian linear regression. Results: While controls received significantly more rewards and were significantly less stochastic compared to patients, both groups similarly relied on model-free decision-making strategies. Importantly, our group comparison of neural reward prediction error responses showed greater activation for model-based reward prediction error in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lateral OFC) in OCD patients compared to controls, but no differences for model-free reward prediction error processing. Increased lateral OFC activity was associated with lower obsessive symptoms and better cognitive functioning. Conclusion: These findings support the notion that OCD is associated with an altered goal-directed system, which may be expressed through increased activation in the lateral OFC activity underlying goal-directed behavior. Importantly, the hyperactivity observed in this region was linked to reduced obsessive symptoms and improved cognitive functioning, potentially indicating compensatory mechanisms and highlighting the lateral OFC as a potential target for future interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-240fbc4d9a7240f1ba531ce5870d694c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj-art-240fbc4d9a7240f1ba531ce5870d694c2025-08-20T03:50:01ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722025-08-0131712135810.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121358Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI studyPritha Sen0Kathrin Koch1Benita Schmitz-Koep2Deniz Gürsel3Franziska Knolle4School of Medicine and Health, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, GermanySchool of Medicine and Health, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanySchool of Medicine and Health, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanySchool of Medicine and Health, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanySchool of Medicine and Health, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Corresponding author at: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.Background: Compared to healthy individuals, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are found to rely more on model-free decision-making strategies which may underlie symptom expression. It is, however, unclear whether these behavioral differences are represented in neural alterations of model-free and model-based decision-making when tested simultaneously. Methods: We investigated the neural signatures of 22 OCD patients and 22 matched controls who completed a two-step Markov decision-making task during functional MRI scanning. We used hierarchical Bayesian modelling and Bayesian statistics to examine model-based and model-free decision-making behaviors. Parametric regressors were employed for model-free and model-based reward prediction errors to inform neural reward presentation, which we analyzed using a Bayesian Multilevel Modeling (BML) approach. Associations between significant activations and symptoms as well as cognitive scores were explored using Bayesian linear regression. Results: While controls received significantly more rewards and were significantly less stochastic compared to patients, both groups similarly relied on model-free decision-making strategies. Importantly, our group comparison of neural reward prediction error responses showed greater activation for model-based reward prediction error in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lateral OFC) in OCD patients compared to controls, but no differences for model-free reward prediction error processing. Increased lateral OFC activity was associated with lower obsessive symptoms and better cognitive functioning. Conclusion: These findings support the notion that OCD is associated with an altered goal-directed system, which may be expressed through increased activation in the lateral OFC activity underlying goal-directed behavior. Importantly, the hyperactivity observed in this region was linked to reduced obsessive symptoms and improved cognitive functioning, potentially indicating compensatory mechanisms and highlighting the lateral OFC as a potential target for future interventions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003611Two-step taskLateral orbitofrontal cortexGoal-directed decisionsComputational psychiatryNeuropsychiatric disorders |
| spellingShingle | Pritha Sen Kathrin Koch Benita Schmitz-Koep Deniz Gürsel Franziska Knolle Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study NeuroImage Two-step task Lateral orbitofrontal cortex Goal-directed decisions Computational psychiatry Neuropsychiatric disorders |
| title | Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study |
| title_full | Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study |
| title_fullStr | Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study |
| title_short | Altered model-based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study |
| title_sort | altered model based prediction error signaling in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder an fmri study |
| topic | Two-step task Lateral orbitofrontal cortex Goal-directed decisions Computational psychiatry Neuropsychiatric disorders |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003611 |
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