Current animal models of obsessive compulsive disorder: a critical review

During the last 30 years there have been many attempts to develop animal models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in the hope that they may provide a route for furthering our understanding and treatment of this disorder. The present paper reviews current genetic, pharmacological and behavioral animal models of OCD, and evaluates their face validity (derived from phenomenological similarity between the behavior in the animal model and the specific symptoms of the human condition), predictive validity (derived from similarity in response to treatment) and construct validity (derived from similarity in the underlying mechanisms--physiological or psychological).