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Obsessive-compulsive disorder in Huntington's disease

J L Cummings1, K Cunningham

  • 1Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine.

Biological Psychiatry
|February 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can manifest in patients with Huntington's disease (HD). Neurological disorders affecting the frontal lobe, caudate nucleus, and globus pallidus circuits may mediate OCD symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
  • The neurological underpinnings of OCD in conjunction with other neurological conditions are not fully understood.

Observation:

  • Two cases of Huntington's disease (HD) patients presenting with disabling obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are described.
  • The OCD symptoms were characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, complex, and egodystonic behaviors.
  • A review of other neurological syndromes associated with OCD, including Gilles de la Tourette syndrome and various brain injuries, was conducted.

Findings:

  • The study suggests that the frontal lobe, caudate nucleus, and globus pallidus form a critical circuit involved in mediating OCD symptoms.
  • Shared features among neurological disorders manifesting OCD include excitatory subcortical output to the cortex.
  • This highlights a potential common pathway for OCD symptomatology across diverse neurological conditions.

Implications:

  • Understanding the neurocircuitry of OCD in HD may lead to targeted therapeutic interventions.
  • Identifying shared neurological mechanisms can advance the treatment of OCD in various neurological disorders.
  • Further research into the cortico-striatal-pallidal pathways is warranted for both HD and OCD treatment strategies.

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