OCD and Other Medical Conditions
OCD is sometimes accompanied by:
Symptoms can also coexist with, and may even be part of, a spectrum of other brain disorders, such as Tourette's syndrome. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of other co-occurring disorders are important for successful treatment of OCD.
There is growing evidence that OCD represents abnormal functioning of brain circuitry, probably involving a part of the brain called the striatum.
OCD is not caused by family problems or by attitudes learned in childhood, such as an inordinate emphasis on cleanliness or a belief that certain thoughts are dangerous or unacceptable.
Brain imaging studies using a technique called positron emission tomography (PET) have compared people with and without OCD. Those with the disorder have patterns of brain activity that differ from people with other mental illnesses or people with no mental illness at all. In addition, PET scans show that in individuals with OCD, both behavioral therapy and medication produce changes in the striatum. Persons with OCD appear to use different brain circuitry when performing a cognitive task than people without the disorder.
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