Exploring neuro-pathophysiology of Hoarding Disorder by using resting-state fMRI

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07603
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52030:Psychiatry-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Nakao Tomohiro 九州大学, 大学院医学研究院精神病態医学, 教授 (50423554)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村山 桂太郎 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (20645981) ; 樋渡 昭雄 九州大学, 医学研究院, 准教授 (30444855)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ためこみ症 / Hoarding disorder / 安静時機能的脳画像 / rsfMRI / 背外側前頭前野 / 海馬 / 機能的結合性 / function connectivity

Outline of Final Research Achievements

From April 2018 to March 2021, we performed head MRI examinations on 25 patients with hoarding disorder and 31 healthy control participants, and compared them by resting-state functional MRI, supported by KAKENHI. The results showed that the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex（DLPFC） and hippocampus were more functionally connected in the hoarding group than in the healthy control group, during resting state. DLPFC plays a key role in working memory and works cooperatively with the hippocampus which is involved in memory formation, to select information necessary for task execution. Previous studies have suggested that hoarding disorder is associated with impairments in executive functions including working memory. These results of the present study provide new insights into hoarding disorder. We plan to conduct further analyses with larger samples in the future.

Free Research Field

精神神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ためこみ症は廃棄困難と過剰収集による散らかりに特徴づけられた疾患である。ためこみ症は病識の乏しさから受診につながりにくく、その病態はいまだにわかっていない。ためこみ症は若年発症して自然回復せずに慢性化するとされ、より早期に介入を行うためにもためこみ症の病態解明は重要である。今回の研究により新たに安静時機能的脳画像で作業記憶に関連する部位に異常が認められ、ためこみ症の病態解明に向けて新たな知見を得ることができたと考えている。