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The inheritance of obsessive-compulsive disorder
1Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America
|August 12, 1999
Summary
Genetic factors significantly influence obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with twin and family studies confirming its heritability. Neurobiological evidence further supports the genetic basis of OCD.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has long been suspected to have a genetic component.
- Previous research has explored the heritability of OCD through various methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To consolidate evidence for the genetic influence on obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- To highlight the neurobiological underpinnings of OCD heritability.
Main Methods:
- Review of twin and family aggregation studies investigating OCD.
- Analysis of findings from drug-treatment studies.
- Examination of functional neuroimaging research in OCD.
Main Results:
- Twin and family studies provide substantial evidence for the heritability of OCD.
- Drug-treatment studies indirectly support genetic links through treatment response.
- Neuroimaging studies identify biological correlates associated with genetic factors in OCD.
Conclusions:
- Genetic factors play a significant role in the etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- The neurobiological aspects of OCD are intrinsically linked to its genetic basis.