Obsessive-compulsive disorder revisited from a treatment perspective.

The brain circuitry that mediates OCD appears to be different from that involved in anxiety, fear, stress and mood related disorders. It has become increasingly clear that the compulsive behaviors of OCD patients share more similarities with addictive than affective disorders. Recent advances in Deep Brain Stimulation techniques encourage a cautious optimism that ultimately new and effective treatment approaches will be found for this debilitating condition.