Psychiatry Anxiety Disorders: OCD

What is OCD?

chronic anxiety disorder in which person has uncontrollable, reoccuring thoughts and behaviors that they feel the urge to repeat. (obsessions, compulsions)

Stats for OCD

2.3% of pop, equal in men and women, onset usually early childhood/early adulthoood, associated with motor tics

Diagnostic criteria for OCD

1. obsessions and/or compulsions

2. time-consuming

3. not attributable to substances or medical condition

4. not better explained by another disorder

common obsessions in OCD

contamination, safety, doubting self memory, scrupulosity, symmetry, order, intrusive sexual/aggressive thoughts

common compulsions in OCD

cleaning, washing, checking, counting, arranging, touching, tapping, hoarding, confessing, reassurance seeking, list making

Neurobiology factor for OCD

communication errors in orbitofrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, neurotransmitter abnormalities

Genetic factor for OCD

25% have relative with disorder, high co-occurence in monozygotic twins

Environmental factor for OCD

childhood trauma, traumatic brain injury

Treatment of OCD

Behavioral therapy, exposure with response prevention, SSRIs, deep brain stimulation

Who is deep brain stimulation indicated for?

Patients who fail psychotherapy and at least 3 different medication trials