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Abstract #3137

fMRI Correlates of Abmnormal guilt Processing in Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Barbara Basile1, 2, Francesco Mancini2, Emiliano Macaluso3, Carlo Caltagirone4, Marco Bozzali5

1Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome , Italy, Italy; 2School of Cognitive Psychotherapy, Rome, Italy; 3Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 4Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy, Italy; 5Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy, Italy

Guilt plays a role in the occurrence and maintenance of obsessive compulsive disorder (ODC). In this fMRI study we investigated, for the first time, the processing of deontological and altruistic guilt in a sample of OCD patients compared to healthy controls. Main finding was a pattern of reduced activation in frontal/insular areas (previously shown to be implicated in the normal processing of guilt) of OCD patients while experiencing guilty feelings, especially of deontological type. A reduced inhibitory control of higher level structures in OCD brains might account for a abnormal emotion processing, and explain some clinical features of the disease.

Keywords

abnormal activated activation administered altruistic anger anterior assess assessment assessments attitude basic behavioral bilaterally bold brain button circuits clinical cluster cognitive compulsive condition conditions confirmed considering consistently contextual contribute control controls conversely corr correlates cortex decrease decreased depend describe design designs directly disorder distinctive eliciting emotion emotional emotions employed event evoking exclude excluded experienced experiencing experiment experimental explained face features feeling feelings findings flexible foundation frontal full greater guilt guilty healthy hypothesis illustrated independent individuals inducing inhibition interestingly interior investigation laboratory linear literature medial might mind model modulated moreover networks neurology neuronal obsessive occipital paradigm patients performance play presence presentation pressing previous processed processing psychological psychotherapy ratings reach reaction recent recruited reduced regardless related release reported requested respond response responses revealed role sadness samples school sentence separately significantly specifically statistical stimuli stimulus structured subjects suggest suggests superior table target task temporal theory thirteen timing tools traditionally trial type types whether world