Chapter 9. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Biology and Treatment, a Generation of Progress
- Eric J.L. Griez2,
- Carlo Faravelli3,
- David Nutt4,
- Joseph Zohar5
Published Online: 6 DEC 2001
DOI: 10.1002/0470846437.ch9
Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Book Title
Anxiety Disorders: An Introduction to Clinical Management and Research
Additional Information
How to Cite
Iancu, I., Sasson, Y., Nakash, N., Chopra, M. and Zohar, J. (2001) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Biology and Treatment, a Generation of Progress, in Anxiety Disorders: An Introduction to Clinical Management and Research (eds E. J.L. Griez, C. Faravelli, D. Nutt and J. Zohar), John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK. doi: 10.1002/0470846437.ch9
Editor Information
- 2
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands
- 3
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Florence University Medical School, Italy
- 4
Psychopharmacology Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
- 5
Department of Psychiatry and Anxiety Clinic, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, University of Tel Aviv, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel
Publication History
- Published Online: 6 DEC 2001
- Published Print: 29 MAY 2001
ISBN Information
Print ISBN: 9780471978732
Online ISBN: 9780470846438
- Summary
- Chapter
Keywords:
- anxiety disorders;
- obsessive-compulsive disorders;
- pharmacotherapy;
- serotonin antagonists;
- dopamine;
- SSRIs;
- psychotherapy;
- treatment-resistant OCD;
- MAOIs
Summary
Until about thirty years ago, obsessive-compulsive disorder was considered to be a treatment-refractory disorder. Dynamic psychotherapy was of little benefit and several pharmacological treatments were attempted without much success. The introduction of clomipramine (CMI) in the 1960s and of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the late 1980s and early 1990s has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with this disorder. Numerous studies have reported on the efficacy of various serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in OCD, paving the way to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder, and helping to clarify its biological basis.