Distinct electroencephalogram microstate in patients with methamphetamine use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND

Electroencephalogram (EEG) microstates reflect momentary localized brain activity and may indicate spontaneous fluctuations within large-scale neural networks. Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibit overlapping compulsive features, however, similarities or differences in whole-brain dynamics on subsecond timescales between patients with MUD and OCD remain unclear.

METHODS

We recruited 127 subjects aged 16 to 55 years, including 45 OCD patients, 44 MUD patients and 39 healthy controls (HCs), and collected resting-state EEG data. The OCD symptoms were assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and drug craving in MUD was evaluated with the Drug Desire Questionnaire (DDQ).

RESULTS

Compared to HCs, MUD patients showed reduced time coverage of microstate A. OCD patients exhibited lower time coverage and occurrence of microstate A than MUD patients, alongside altered transition probabilities (reduced B/C/D → A; increased B → D) (all p < 0.05). In OCD, compulsion subscale scores were negatively correlated with B → D transition probability and the mean duration of microstate D, but positively correlated with the occurrence of microstate C (all p < 0.05). For MUD, DDQ desire and intention scores were positively correlated with the occurrence and time coverage of microstate D (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal that distinct EEG microstate patterns in MUD and OCD, shedding light on the underlying neurodynamic and connectivity differences between the two disorders. The relationship between microstate D and clinical symptoms in both disorders further elucidates potential shared neural underpinnings. Microstate C shows potential as a neurophysiological biomarker for OCD.