Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A multidimensional model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

David Mataix-Cols1, Maria Conceição do Rosario-Campos, James F Leckman

  • 1Institute of Psychiatry, London.

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|January 29, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is complex, but research shows it can be understood through distinct symptom dimensions like hoarding and cleaning. These dimensions help clarify findings in OCD research and treatment.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Regional, functional and transcriptomic decoding of multidimensional brain structure alterations in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Corticostriatal connectivity in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same author

Altered neurodevelopmental trajectories of brain structure in Tourette syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorders.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

Evaluating the methodological quality of coordinate-based meta-analyses: the qual-CBMA checklist.

Frontiers in neuroimaging·2026
Same author

Feasibility and acceptability of therapist-guided, asynchronous, internet-delivered trauma-focused CBT for adolescents with PTSD: a single-group feasibility trial in Sweden.

BMJ open·2026
Same author

Key aspects to consider in the design of prevention efforts for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)·2026

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) presents a significant clinical heterogeneity.
  • This heterogeneity complicates research findings in areas such as genetics, neuroimaging, and clinical trials.
  • A multidimensional model is proposed to better understand OCD's complex presentation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence supporting a multidimensional model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • To identify consistent symptom dimensions within OCD research.
  • To explore the utility of these dimensions in advancing OCD understanding and treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted comprehensive literature searches for factor-analytic studies on obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Included studies with novel, important findings relevant to mental health professionals.
  • Analyzed data from over 2,000 patients across twelve factor-analytic studies.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified four consistent symptom dimensions in OCD: symmetry/ordering, hoarding, contamination/cleaning, and obsessions/checking.
    • These dimensions demonstrated distinct patterns in comorbidity, genetic transmission, neural substrates, and treatment response.
    • The hoarding dimension showed particularly robust supporting evidence.

    Conclusions:

    • OCD's clinical presentation can be effectively summarized by stable symptom dimensions.
    • These dimensions represent a spectrum of overlapping syndromes that may extend beyond traditional OCD boundaries.
    • A dimensional approach to OCD phenotypes offers potential for improved understanding and endophenotype identification.