Outlining new frontiers for the comprehension of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review of its relationship with fear and anxiety

Abstract

It is likely that anxiety is a relevant dimension of OCD that impacts on other features of this disorder. Therefore, future studies may benefit from the investigation of the expression of fear and anxiety by OCD patients according to their type of obsessions and compulsions, age of OCD onset, comorbidities, and patterns of treatment response.

Functional and structural connectivity of the amygdala in obsessive-compulsive disorder

“…Moreover, present findings of a subcortical-cortical hyperconnectivity confirm results of a review by Diniz et al (2012) who concluded that besides neural disruptions comparable to those in other anxiety disorders, OCD patients seem to be affected by additional alterations within the amygdalo-cortical circuitry, which plays a major role in processes of fear conditioning and extinction. Our results complement this by showing that dysfunctions within these networks are visible already during the perception and processing of negative, fear-provoking stimuli.…”

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Insights from animal models

“…The present review considered the use and utility of animal models in research on mechanisms underlying the psychiatric disorder, OCD. This review was not intended to summarize the growing area of research using animal models of OCD, as a number of such first-rate publications already exists (Ahmari, 2015; Ahmari and Dougherty, 2015; Albelda and Joel, 2012a,b; Alonso et al, 2015; Boulougouris et al, 2009; Camilla d’Angelo et al, 2014; Diniz et al, 2012; Eilam and Szechtman, 2005b; Eilam et al, 2012; Grados et al, 2015; Gunaydin and Kreitzer, 2016; Hoffman, 2011; Joel, 2006a; Korff and Harvey, 2006; Man et al, 2004; Ting and Feng, 2011b; Wang et al, 2009; Westenberg et al, 2007). Instead, the current synthesis is unique in that it brings together several independent investigators to highlight a few features of their research where animal models serve as exemplars of fruitful questions and areas of investigation into OCD.…”

“…Thus, because the spatiotemporal structure of QNP-induced behavior matched the salient features of OCD checking in the human, it was proposed that the QNP preparation constitutes an animal model of OCD compulsions and compulsive checking in particular (Szechtman et al, 1998a). A comprehensive description of the logic and details of this model has been reviewed (Eilam and Szechtman, 2005b; Szechtman et al, 1999; Szechtman and Eilam, 2005) and evaluated by others (Ahmari, 2015; Ahmari and Dougherty, 2015; Albelda and Joel, 2012ab; Alonso et al, 2015; Camilla d’Angelo et al, 2014; Diniz et al, 2012; Hoffman, 2011; Joel, 2006a; Korff and Harvey, 2006; Man et al, 2004; Pallanti et al, 2014; Westenberg et al, 2007). …”

Using mice to model Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: From genes to circuits

“…Though both obsessions and compulsions are not required to meet diagnostic criteria for OCD, both are typically present 9 and tend to be linked together, such that a compulsion is performed in response to a particular obsessive thought. Notably, although OCD is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder according to DSM-5, anxiety symptoms are a prominent feature in many OCD patients 10,11 . Specifically, obsessions are often associated with significant distress, and compulsions are typically performed in a conscious attempt to reduce this severe distress.…”