Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive, obsessive thoughts which lead the sufferer to perform ritualistic, repeated actions to relieve the unwanted thoughts. The patient may have more of the obsessive symptoms, more of the compulsive symptoms, or have both equally. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, is commonly treated with a variety of biomedical and psychosocial treatments. Treatment is aimed at the reduction of symptoms, as total remission is rare.
SSRI Medications
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) relieve the symptoms of OCD in many patients. According to the Mayo Clinic, drugs in this category approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for obsessive-compulsive disorder include fluvoxamine maleate, sold as Luvox, paroxetine hydrochloride, sold as Paxil, fluoxetine hydrochloride, sold as Prozac, and sertraline hydrochloride, sold as Zoloft. SSRI medications are thought to work by keeping serotonin levels high at the synapse of neurons. In other words, with the medication, the nerve cells can communicate with each other in the presence of an adequate amount of a chemical that is normally low in patients with OCD. This improved nerve cell communication helps to relieve the symptoms of OCD.
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
A serotonin reuptake inhibitor known as clomipramine hydrocholride and sold as Anafranil is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of OCD. It works similarly to SSRI medications, but has been found to have more serious side effects and is therefore prescribed less often.
Electoconvulsive Therapy
OCD may be treated with electroconvulsive therapy in patients for whom medications and therapy have not brought symptom improvement. This treatment occurs rarely, and is usually reserved for patients who also have severe depression.
Deep Brain Stimulation
According to an article published in the "Los Angeles Times," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in 2009, approved the use of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of some cases of severe OCD. In this treatment, a device is implanted in the upper chest with wires that connect to the ventral capsule/ventral striatum and stimulate it. This area of the brain is thought to be correlated with obsessive compulsive symptoms. Deep brain stimulation is rarely used as a treatment for OCD.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is rarely used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder. The treatment usually consists of a magnetic coil being placed on the patient's scalp. This coil delivers electrical currents to the nerve cells, thereby improving OCD symptoms. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is painless and is used for cases that have not been treatable by medication or therapy.
Other Biomedical Treatments
Some physicians may use drugs other than the ones listed to treat patients with OCD. Additionally, a patient may need a combination of drugs or other therapies for symptom reduction.
