Obsessive-compulsive disorder: identification, neurobiology, and treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common psychiatric disorder. It may go unrecognized, however, as many patients are embarrassed by their symptoms and are thus reluctant to report them. Recent research findings on OCD point to neurologic dysfunction in the circuitry of the orbitofrontal cortex and basal ganglia. The advent of the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) as well as behavioral therapy has greatly improved treatment outcomes for patients with OCD. Given the likelihood that these patients are encountered in primary care consultations, physicians have the opportunity to play a crucial role in the early identification and proper treatment of OCD.