The noradrenaline pathways in OCD

The principal centres for noradrenergic neurones are the locus coeruleus and the caudal raphe nuclei. In obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) the transmission of noradrenaline is increased from the locus coeruleus to the frontal cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus and limbic system compared with normal. Nerves projecting from the locus coeruleus to the cerebellum and midbrain exhibit normal noradrenergic activity in OCD. The transmission of noradrenaline from the caudal raphe nuclei is also unchanged.

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References

Psychiatry Res 1991;37:161–177.

Psychiatry Res 1997;69:155–162.