Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
09:29

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Why have early investigational therapies of obsessive-compulsive disorder failed to materialise?

Donatella Marazziti1, Liliana Dell'Osso

  • 1University of Pisa, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psichiatry , Via Roma 67, 56100 Pisa , Italy +39 050 2219768 ; +39 050 2219787 ; dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it.

Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
|January 21, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors revolutionized obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment. This paper explores why other potentially effective OCD drugs were overlooked or underdeveloped.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) transformed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) pharmacotherapy in the mid-1980s.
  • OCD patients demonstrated significant response rates (approx. 60%) to drugs enhancing serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission.
  • Subsequent research identified numerous compounds modulating the 5-HT system and explored alternative therapeutic targets for OCD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the reasons behind the neglect or abandonment of potentially effective pharmacological treatments for OCD.
  • To reflect on the development pipeline of novel OCD therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and critical analysis of proposed OCD treatments.
  • Examination of historical trends in psychopharmacology research for OCD.

Main Results:

  • Despite advancements in understanding OCD, several promising drug candidates failed to reach clinical application.
  • Reasons for discarding potential treatments remain largely unexamined.

Conclusions:

  • Further investigation is needed to understand why effective OCD treatments may have been prematurely discarded.
  • Understanding these past failures can inform future drug development for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Keywords:
clomipramineguidelinesobsessive–compulsive disorderpharmacological treatmentselective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors

More Related Videos

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging09:14

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder11:17

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Published on: November 25, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Drug Discovery: Overview01:26

Drug Discovery: Overview

Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...
Preclinical Development: Overview01:28

Preclinical Development: Overview

Preclinical development consists of a series of tests that ensure the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic compound before it is tested in humans. There are four main phases to this process. First, safety pharmacology tests are conducted to ensure the drug does not produce any acutely harmful effects. These tests examine parameters such as bronchoconstriction, cardiac dysrhythmias, blood pressure changes, and ataxia. Next, preliminary toxicological testing is performed to determine the...
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder01:28

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both, which consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning. Obsessions involve persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that evoke anxiety. Common examples include irrational fears of contamination or harm. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. For instance, individuals...
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders01:24

Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders

Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Psychosurgery01:30

Psychosurgery

Psychosurgery, the surgical alteration or permanent removal of brain tissue to alleviate severe psychological conditions, stands as one of the most radical and controversial treatments in the history of mental health care. Its development and application have evolved significantly, marked by dramatic shifts in scientific understanding and ethical perspectives.
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...