White matter integrity in kleptomania: a pilot study.

This study's goal was to examine microstructural organization of frontal white matter in kleptomania. Ten females with DSM-IV kleptomania and 10 female controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Inferior frontal white matter was the a priori region of interest. Trace and fractional anisotropy (FA) were also calculated for frontal and posterior cortical regions in both subject groups. Kleptomania subjects had significantly higher mean frontal Trace, and significantly lower mean frontal FA than control subjects. Group differences remained significant when right and left frontal Trace and FA were analyzed. Groups did not differ significantly in posterior Trace or FA. Kleptomania may be associated with decreased white matter microstructural integrity in inferior frontal brain regions.