ERROR-RELATED NEURAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: A TIME-FREQUENCY INVESTIGATION

Greater performance monitoring, widely examined with the error-related negativity (ERN), has been suggested as a biomarker of obsessive– compulsive disorder (OCD) in children. Greater theta power to errors is believed to re- flect greater error processing. Additionally, recent inves- tigations showed that decreased beta power following an error reflects motor preparation, while greater beta power following an error reflects motor inhibition. The present study examines time-frequency theta and beta power in pediatric OCD with a data- driven, cluster-based ap- proach. The aim was to clarify the electrocortical mecha- nisms of performance monitoring in children with OCD (n = 23, 13 females, mean age = 12.6 ± 1.03) and without OCD (n = 26, 14 females, mean age = 12.3 ± 1.10) during an arrowhead version of the flanker task while electro- encephalographic activity was recorded. Consistent with previous work, the OCD group showed greater theta power on error trials relative to controls. Additionally, the OCD group exhibited a reduced early fronto- central beta power decrease (i.e., greater power) following error trials relative to the control group. Overall, by examin- ing separate time-frequency measures, the present study provided novel insight into the dynamics of performance monitoring in OCD - suggesting that OCD may be char- acterized by increased theta power to errors, as well as increased beta power following error trials. FUNDING: This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (7R01MH10647702)