Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Hajcak, G. Articles by Simons, R. F. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Hajcak, G. Articles by Simons, R. F. Neurophysiology Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Behavior Therapy Cognitive Therapy

Increased Error-Related Brain Activity in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Before and After Treatment

OBJECTIVE: The error-related negativity is a negative deflection in the event-related potential maximal approximately 50 msec after the commission of errors. The error-related negativity is generated in the anterior cingulate cortex, and both anterior cingulate cortex hyperactivity and increased error-related brain activity have been reported in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, no study to date, to the authors’ knowledge, has examined error-related brain activity in pediatric patients with OCD, and no study has examined error-related brain activity in OCD both before and after treatment. METHOD: The error-related negativity was measured in 18 treatment-seeking pediatric patients with OCD and 18 age-matched comparison subjects. Of these patients, 10 returned for a second testing session after cognitive behavior therapy; 13 comparison children participated a second time after a comparable interval. RESULTS: In the pretreatment group, the error-related negativity was reliably larger in pediatric patients with OCD in relation to comparison subjects. This difference was also evident after treatment. There was no relationship between error-related negativity and symptom severity or changes in symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with studies in adult patients, increased error-related brain activity is evident in pediatric patients with OCD. Furthermore, increased error-related brain activity does not appear to change as a function of symptom reduction after therapy. These results suggest that an increased error-related negativity may be a trait-like marker for psychopathology and might be a useful endophenotype.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. M. Olvet and G. Hajcak The effect of trial-to-trial feedback on the error-related negativity and its relationship with anxiety Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, December 1, 2009; 9(4): 427 - 433. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Marsh, T. V. Maia, and B. S. Peterson Functional Disturbances Within Frontostriatal Circuits Across Multiple Childhood Psychopathologies Am J Psychiatry, June 1, 2009; 166(6): 664 - 674. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-s. R. Li, H. H.-A. Chao, and T.-W. Lee Neural Correlates of Speeded as Compared with Delayed Responses in a Stop Signal Task: An Indirect Analog of Risk Taking and Association with an Anxiety Trait Cereb Cortex, April 1, 2009; 19(4): 839 - 848. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-L. C. Helbing and M. Ficca Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in School-Age Children The Journal of School Nursing, February 1, 2009; 25(1): 15 - 26. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2008 American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us