Table 2. Meta-analyses of NAA levels by region.
| Region | Separate dataset | No. of OCD | No. of HC | Z-value | P-value | I 2(%) | Publication bias |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontal cortex | 16 | 225 | 233 | −2.240 | 0.025 | 56.2 | 0.92 |
| mPFC | 15 | 183 | 192 | −1.871 | 0.061 | 63.3 | 0.99 |
| DLPFC | 3 | 30 | 29 | −0.819 | 0.413 | 63.7 | NA |
| Thalamus | 4 | 63 | 73 | −0.729 | 0.466 | 0 | NA |
| Basal ganglia | 10 | 105 | 115 | −0.292 | 0.770 | 42.5 | 0.36 |
Abbreviations: DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; HC, healthy control; mPFC, medial prefrontal cortex; NA, not applicable; NAA, N-acetylaspartate; OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder.