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Related Experiment Videos

Pharmacotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Darin D Dougherty1, Scott L Rauch, Michael A Jenike

  • 1Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. ddougherty@partners.org

Journal of Clinical Psychology
|September 25, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are the primary treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but augmentation with neuroleptics is effective for treatment-resistant cases. Other options have less evidence.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Pharmacotherapeutic options for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have evolved significantly over 50 years.
  • Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are currently the first-line pharmacotherapy for OCD.
  • Effective OCD treatment with SRIs often requires high dosages and extended trial periods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current use of SRIs in OCD pharmacotherapy.
  • To discuss alternative pharmacotherapeutic options, including SRI augmentation and monotherapies.
  • To examine neurosurgical and device-based treatments for refractory OCD.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of pharmacotherapeutic options for OCD.
  • Analysis of evidence for SRI augmentation strategies.

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  • Review of neurosurgical and device-based interventions for treatment-refractory OCD.

    • Main Results:

    • SRIs are the established first-line treatment for OCD, necessitating high doses and long trials.
    • SRI augmentation with neuroleptics demonstrates efficacy in treatment-refractory OCD.
    • Evidence supporting alternative pharmacotherapeutic strategies is less robust.

    Conclusions:

    • SRIs remain the cornerstone of OCD pharmacotherapy.
    • Neuroleptic augmentation is a viable strategy for treatment-resistant OCD.
    • Further research is needed for alternative and non-pharmacological approaches to refractory OCD.