AUTHOR=Kato Kenta , Tomiyama Hirofumi , Murayama Keitaro , Mizobe Taro , Matsuo Akira , Nishida Nami , Matukuma Kou , Kang Mingi , Sashikata Kenta , Kikuchi Kazufumi , Togao Osamu , Nakao Tomohiro TITLE=Reduced resting-state functional connectivity between insula and inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus in hoarding disorder JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry VOLUME=15 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1399062 DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1399062 ISSN=1664-0640 ABSTRACT=Background

Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by cognitive control impairments and abnormal brain activity in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during disposal of personal items or certain executive function tasks. However, whether there are any changes in resting-state functional connectivity of the insula and ACC remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 55 subjects, including 24 patients with HD and 31 healthy controls (HCs), participated in the study. We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and examined group differences in functional connectivity from the insula and ACC in whole-brain voxels.

Results

In patients with HD, functional connectivity was significantly lower between the right insula and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and left superior temporal gyrus (STG) compared to HCs. There was no correlation between these connectivities and HD symptoms.

Conclusions

Although the clinical implication is uncertain, our results suggest that patients with HD have resting-state functional alterations between the insula and IFG and STG, corresponding with the results of previous fMRI studies. These findings provide new insight into the neurobiological basis of HD.