Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder - Other Etiologies

[Gregory S Berns]

In article <dk_larson-1104950944140001 at 130.20.68.78>,
Darren K Larson <dk_larson at pnl.gov> wrote:
>
>   I was reading the latest Reader's Digest today and there was an
>interesting article about compulsive/obsessive disorder.  The author
>presented a biological reason (autoimmune attack of the ganglion as a
>result of an infection of streptococcus bacteria) as the etiology in one
>patient's case.  Any other thoughts on the etiology of this disorder?
>

There was a recent article in JAMA from the NIH group regarding this.
Specifically, they looked at kids with Sydenham's chorea (a post-
streptococcal disord in whom a high percentage are left
with OCD symptoms.  I think the bigger picture is that OCD may be
a disease of the cortical-subcortical circuits including the
basal ganglia.

Greg Berns, MD PhD
Univ of Pittsburgh Medical Center