The areas of the brain affected in obsessive compulsive disorder (advanced)

Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibit increased metabolic activity in the cortico-basal ganglia network compared with healthy controls. Hyperactive neurotransmitter circuits between the cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus have been implicated in the disorder. Hypofunction of serotonergic neurones arising from the rostral raphe nucleus may result in a lack of inhibitory effect on the putative OCD pathway. Furthermore, overactivity of dopaminergic neurones arising from the substantia nigra may produce excessive excitation in the brain areas implicated in OCD.

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References

Neuron 2000;28:343–347.