Mental Health Conditions / Do You Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder -- Let's Destroy Part of Your Brain

submitted by Dr. Gary Farr Last Updated December, 21, 2002

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Do You Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder -- Let's Destroy Part of Your Brain

A type of brain surgery is being recommended for some patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that fails to respond to medication or behavioral therapy according to a study from Harvard.

OCD is a psychiatric illness marked by persistent, irrational thoughts and an uncontrollable urge to repeatedly perform certain acts, such as handwashing.

The researchers studied 44 OCD patients who were treated with cingulotomy, a procedure in which electrodes are used to destroy tissue in the brain's cingulate gyrus. This and similar brain procedures for OCD are aimed at repairing specific brain circuitry that has been implicated in the development of the disorder.

Investigators found that 45% of their patients had at least partially improved after surgery. After an average of nearly 3 years, one third of patients had responded to the treatment, and several others showed a partial response.

Nine patients, 20% of the total, had at least one adverse effect, including temporary memory loss and urinary problems. One patient developed a seizure disorder that has required ongoing drug treatment.

American Journal of Psychiatry February 2002;159:269-275