[Arguments for cerebral dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder. A review and synthesis of the literature]

Until recently, particular interest was focalized on the association between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and biochemical markers, for testing the biological hypothesis. The neurotransmitter, most involved in OCD, seems actually to be serotonin. In contrast, few studies were concentrated on searching for the site of dysfunction in specific areas of the brain. Expanding exploration methods of the central nervous system (computerized EEG, evoked potentials, positions emission tomography...) and their recent application in OCD have given more evidence for the validity of the "neurodysfunctional" hypothesis and the localization of the dysfunction in OCD.