We already wondered if we were crazy after checking for the 3rd time that we had our keys in our bag in the morning, closed the front door or turned off the light. According to a French team from INSERM, which published a study in the journal Nature Communications, it's not that bad. It's even normal! And it would be due to our cingulate cortex.
The researchers carried out tests on macaques equipped with electrodes recording the activity of their frontal cortex. In particular, they performed tests on the middle cingulate cortex and the lateral prefrontal cortex, known for their involvement in decision-making, via the “work or check” test. This test offered the monkeys two options:either work on a visual memorization task (which helps fill a gauge), or check a gauge that indicates how long to wait before you can retrieve fruit juice. Verdict:In the verification macaques, neurons in the cingulate cortex fired 500 milliseconds before those in the lateral prefrontal cortex.
This study is a considerable step forward in treating patients suffering from obsessive behavioral disorder (OCD). “In some countries, such as the United States, doctors are already trying to treat OCD by destroying certain parts of the cingulate cortex of patients with electrodes,” recalls the Institute. However, “this electrocoagulation technique would only be effective in 30 to 40% of patients resistant to other available treatments,” he continues. He specifies that a lack of precision concerning the zones of the cingulate cortex targeted could explain the lack of effectiveness of the approach.
Following these results, the Institute has just launched a new study with a dual objective:to identify precisely the areas of the cingulate cortex involved in OCD in humans (in around twenty volunteers) and to assess the impact of an alteration of the corresponding cingulate cortex in macaques. The results are expected for 2017-2018. And if this track is confirmed, it could pave the way for the development of specific treatments capable of regulating the activity of the cingulate cortex to better treat OCD.
