Cited by 19Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum DisordersAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

A closer look to neural pathways and psychopharmacology of obsessive compulsive disorder

Open access
Gargano, Steven P., Santos, Melody G., Taylor, Sydney M., Pastis, Irene·2023·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

Abstract

The intricate neural pathways involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affect areas of our brain that control executive functioning, organization, and planning. OCD is a chronic condition that can be debilitating, afflicting millions of people worldwide. The lifetime prevalence of OCD in the US is 2.3%. OCD is predominantly characterized by obsessions consisting of intrusive and unwanted thoughts, often with impulses that are strongly associated with anxiety. Compulsions with OCD encompass repetitive behaviors or mental acts to satisfy their afflicted obsessions or impulses. While these factors can be unique to each individual, it has been widely established that the etiology of OCD is complex as it relates to neuronal pathways, psychopharmacology, and brain chemistry involved and warrants further exploration.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1282246

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167 of 169 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • We cannot exclude the possibility that the competing habit was not enabling the performance of a compulsion.

    “Although there is evidence for similar competing responses being employed in treatment [70,71] and for a general neural domain of compulsions, whereby similar brain areas are active regardless of behavioural presentation [72], we cannot exclude the possibility that the competing habit was not enabling the performance of a compulsion.”

    From Habit as a therapeutic component in psychological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomised controlled feasibility study. (2026) · cites this paper as [72]

    Citation [72] is attached to the claim about a general neural domain of compulsions, not to the authors’ uncertainty about their competing habit. The Pathways section describes a CSTC loop as a core mechanism in OCD, supporting some shared circuitry, but also says that different presentations of obsessions and compulsions may involve different neuronal pathways. It therefore does not establish that similar brain areas are active regardless of behavioral presentation. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Middleton F. Strick P. (2001) A revised neuroanatomy of frontal-subcortical circuits. New York: Guilford Press (Frontal-subcortical circuits in psychiatric and neurological disorders).

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Authors
Gargano, S. P., Santos, M. G., Taylor, S. M., & Pastis, I.
Affiliations
East Carolina University (US)
Corresponding author
Santos, Melody G.
Venue
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Published
2023-11-16
Volume
17
Pages
1282246-1282246
ISSN
1662-5153 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4388733798
Cited by
18
References
168
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5
FWCI
0.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • The Scholarship East Carolina University's Institutional Repository (East Carolina University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
obsessive-compulsive disorder, neural pathways, psychopharmacology, obsession, compulsive behavior, executive function, anxiety, neurochemistry

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