Inflammation in obsessive–compulsive disorder: A literature review and hypothesis‐based potential of transcranial photobiomodulation

Abstract

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling neuropsychiatric disorder that affects about 2%–3% of the global population. Despite the availability of several treatments, many patients with OCD do not respond adequately, highlighting the need for new therapeutic approaches. Recent studies have associated various inflammatory processes with the pathogenesis of OCD, including alterations in peripheral immune cells, alterations in cytokine levels, and neuroinflammation. These findings suggest that inflammation could be a promising target for intervention. Transcranial photobiomodulation (t‐PBM) with near‐infrared light is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that has shown potential for several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, its efficacy in OCD remains to be fully explored. This study aimed to review the literature on inflammation in OCD, detailing associations with T‐cell populations, monocytes, NLRP3 inflammasome components, microglial activation, and elevated proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF‐α, CRP, IL‐1β, and IL‐6. We also examined the hypothesis‐based potential of t‐PBM in targeting these inflammatory pathways of OCD, focusing on mechanisms such as modulation of oxidative stress, regulation of immune cell function, reduction of proinflammatory cytokine levels, deactivation of neurotoxic microglia, and upregulation of BDNF gene expression. Our review suggests that t‐PBM could be a promising, noninvasive intervention for OCD, with the potential to modulate underlying inflammatory processes. Future research should focus on randomized clinical trials to assess t‐PBM's efficacy and optimal treatment parameters in OCD. Biomarker analyses and neuroimaging studies will be important in understanding the relationship between inflammatory modulation and OCD symptom improvement following t‐PBM sessions.

Ketamine Infusion in a Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Patient in Bangladesh with Severe Suicidal Ideation: A Case Report

“…It started improving following the first infusion: depression: 15 (moderate), anxiety: 3 (normal), and stress: 4 (normal) two hours after ketamine administration. After a transient deterioration (the stressful academic news regarding academic examination), further improvement was observed with a subsequent second and third infusion to a minimum level (3)(4)(5). This minimum DASS-21 score was sustained during discharge and follow-up at the sixth and 12 th weeks (Table 4).…”

“…World Health Organization (WHO) reported that OCD is one of the top 10 most incapacitating illnesses [2]. Around 1.9-3.3% of the global population suffers from OCD [3][4][5][6]. One of the considerable complications of OCD is major depressive disorder (MDD) [7][8][9][10].…”