OCD: Limbic paroxysmal magnetoencephalographic activity in 12 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients: a new diagnostic finding.

Entrez PubMed We describe frontotemporal paroxysmal rhythmic activity recorded by magnetoencephalography (MEG) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). . . RESULTS: Two types of MEG activity were observed in patients with OCD: (1) frontotemporal paroxysmal rhythmic activity with low-amplitude spikes (< 1 picoTesla) in 92% (11/12) of patients and (2) intermittent isolated spikes and sharp waves in all patients (12/12). The OCD group had paroxysmal rhythmic MEG activity in the cingulate cortex (12/12), insula (10/12), hippocampus (9/12), temporal superior gyrus and angular and supramarginal gyri (9/12), precentral and post-central gyri (8/12), orbitofrontal cortex (5/12), and parietal lobes (5/12). MEG recordings were normal in the control group, and EEG findings were normal in both the OCD and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Frontotemporal paroxysmal rhythmic activity with a preferential limbic distribution is a sensitive MEG finding in patients with OCD. Although the pathophysiology of this abnormality remains unknown, a corticostriatal network dysfunction was hypothesized."

Limbic paroxysmal magnetoencephalographic activity in 12 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients: a new diagnostic finding.
Amo C, Quesney LF, Ortiz T, Maestu F, Fernandez A, Lopez-Ibor MI, Lopez-Ibor JJ.
J Clin Psychiatry. 2004 Feb;65(2):156-62.