Rhesus monkeys exhibiting spontaneous ritualistic behaviors resembling obsessive-compulsive disorder

Rongwei Zhai; Geya Tong; Zheqin Li; Weichen Song; Yang Hu; Sha Xu; Qiqi Wei; Xiaocheng Zhang; Yi Li; Bingbing Liao; Chenyu Yuan; Yinqing Fan; Ge Song; Yinyin Ouyang; Wenxuan Zhang; Yaqiu Tang; Minghui Jin; Yuxian Zhang; He Li; Zhi Yang; Guan Ning Lin; Dan J. Stein; Zhi Qi Xiong; Zhen Wang

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwad312

Rhesus monkeys exhibiting spontaneous ritualistic behaviors resembling obsessive-compulsive disorder

Rongwei Zhai^*, Geya Tong, Zheqin Li, Weichen Song, Yang Hu, Sha Xu, Qiqi Wei, Xiaocheng Zhang, Yi Li, Bingbing Liao, Chenyu Yuan, Yinqing Fan, Ge Song, Yinyin Ouyang, Wenxuan Zhang, Yaqiu Tang, Minghui Jin, Yuxian Zhang, He Li, Zhi YangGuan Ning Lin, Dan J. Stein, Zhi Qi Xiong^*, Zhen Wang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects ∼2%-3% of the population globally. Studying spontaneous OCD-like behaviors in non-human primates may improve our understanding of the disorder. In large rhesus monkey colonies, we found 10 monkeys spontaneously exhibiting persistent sequential motor behaviors (SMBs) in individual-specific sequences that were repetitive, time-consuming and stable over prolonged periods. Genetic analysis revealed severely damaging mutations in genes associated with OCD risk in humans. Brain imaging showed that monkeys with SMBs had larger gray matter (GM) volumes in the left caudate nucleus and lower fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum. The GM volume of the left caudate nucleus correlated positively with the daily duration of SMBs. Notably, exposure to a stressor (human presence) significantly increased SMBs. In addition, fluoxetine, a serotonergic medication commonly used for OCD, decreased SMBs in these monkeys. These findings provide a novel foundation for developing better understanding and treatment of OCD.

Original language	English
Article number	nwad312
Journal	National Science Review
Volume	10
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad312
State	Published - 1 Nov 2023
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Lingang Lab	LG202106-03
National Natural Science Foundation of China	32000709, 82230045
Chinese Academy of Sciences	XDB32060000
Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality	2018SHZDZX05
key project of Shanghai Mental Health Center	2019-zd02

Keywords

caudate nucleus
fluoxetine
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
OCD risk genes
primate ritualistic behavior model

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10.1093/nsr/nwad312

Cite this

Zhai, R., Tong, G., Li, Z., Song, W., Hu, Y., Xu, S., Wei, Q., Zhang, X., Li, Y., Liao, B., Yuan, C., Fan, Y., Song, G., Ouyang, Y., Zhang, W., Tang, Y., Jin, M., Zhang, Y., Li, H., ... Wang, Z. (2023). Rhesus monkeys exhibiting spontaneous ritualistic behaviors resembling obsessive-compulsive disorder. National Science Review, 10(11), Article nwad312. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad312

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abstract = "Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects ∼2%-3% of the population globally. Studying spontaneous OCD-like behaviors in non-human primates may improve our understanding of the disorder. In large rhesus monkey colonies, we found 10 monkeys spontaneously exhibiting persistent sequential motor behaviors (SMBs) in individual-specific sequences that were repetitive, time-consuming and stable over prolonged periods. Genetic analysis revealed severely damaging mutations in genes associated with OCD risk in humans. Brain imaging showed that monkeys with SMBs had larger gray matter (GM) volumes in the left caudate nucleus and lower fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum. The GM volume of the left caudate nucleus correlated positively with the daily duration of SMBs. Notably, exposure to a stressor (human presence) significantly increased SMBs. In addition, fluoxetine, a serotonergic medication commonly used for OCD, decreased SMBs in these monkeys. These findings provide a novel foundation for developing better understanding and treatment of OCD.",

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author = "Rongwei Zhai and Geya Tong and Zheqin Li and Weichen Song and Yang Hu and Sha Xu and Qiqi Wei and Xiaocheng Zhang and Yi Li and Bingbing Liao and Chenyu Yuan and Yinqing Fan and Ge Song and Yinyin Ouyang and Wenxuan Zhang and Yaqiu Tang and Minghui Jin and Yuxian Zhang and He Li and Zhi Yang and Lin, {Guan Ning} and Stein, {Dan J.} and Xiong, {Zhi Qi} and Zhen Wang",

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Zhai, R, Tong, G, Li, Z, Song, W, Hu, Y, Xu, S, Wei, Q, Zhang, X, Li, Y, Liao, B, Yuan, C, Fan, Y, Song, G, Ouyang, Y, Zhang, W, Tang, Y, Jin, M, Zhang, Y, Li, H, Yang, Z, Lin, GN, Stein, DJ, Xiong, ZQ & Wang, Z 2023, 'Rhesus monkeys exhibiting spontaneous ritualistic behaviors resembling obsessive-compulsive disorder', National Science Review, vol. 10, no. 11, nwad312. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad312

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T1 - Rhesus monkeys exhibiting spontaneous ritualistic behaviors resembling obsessive-compulsive disorder

AU - Zhai, Rongwei

AU - Tong, Geya

AU - Li, Zheqin

AU - Song, Weichen

AU - Hu, Yang

AU - Xu, Sha

AU - Wei, Qiqi

AU - Zhang, Xiaocheng

AU - Li, Yi

AU - Liao, Bingbing

AU - Yuan, Chenyu

AU - Fan, Yinqing

AU - Song, Ge

AU - Ouyang, Yinyin

AU - Zhang, Wenxuan

AU - Tang, Yaqiu

AU - Jin, Minghui

AU - Zhang, Yuxian

AU - Li, He

AU - Yang, Zhi

AU - Lin, Guan Ning

AU - Stein, Dan J.

AU - Xiong, Zhi Qi

AU - Wang, Zhen

PY - 2023/11/1

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N2 - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects ∼2%-3% of the population globally. Studying spontaneous OCD-like behaviors in non-human primates may improve our understanding of the disorder. In large rhesus monkey colonies, we found 10 monkeys spontaneously exhibiting persistent sequential motor behaviors (SMBs) in individual-specific sequences that were repetitive, time-consuming and stable over prolonged periods. Genetic analysis revealed severely damaging mutations in genes associated with OCD risk in humans. Brain imaging showed that monkeys with SMBs had larger gray matter (GM) volumes in the left caudate nucleus and lower fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum. The GM volume of the left caudate nucleus correlated positively with the daily duration of SMBs. Notably, exposure to a stressor (human presence) significantly increased SMBs. In addition, fluoxetine, a serotonergic medication commonly used for OCD, decreased SMBs in these monkeys. These findings provide a novel foundation for developing better understanding and treatment of OCD.

AB - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects ∼2%-3% of the population globally. Studying spontaneous OCD-like behaviors in non-human primates may improve our understanding of the disorder. In large rhesus monkey colonies, we found 10 monkeys spontaneously exhibiting persistent sequential motor behaviors (SMBs) in individual-specific sequences that were repetitive, time-consuming and stable over prolonged periods. Genetic analysis revealed severely damaging mutations in genes associated with OCD risk in humans. Brain imaging showed that monkeys with SMBs had larger gray matter (GM) volumes in the left caudate nucleus and lower fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum. The GM volume of the left caudate nucleus correlated positively with the daily duration of SMBs. Notably, exposure to a stressor (human presence) significantly increased SMBs. In addition, fluoxetine, a serotonergic medication commonly used for OCD, decreased SMBs in these monkeys. These findings provide a novel foundation for developing better understanding and treatment of OCD.

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KW - fluoxetine

KW - obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

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JO - National Science Review

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IS - 11

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ER -

Rhesus monkeys exhibiting spontaneous ritualistic behaviors resembling obsessive-compulsive disorder

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