Deep-brain stimulation in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: Clinical and molecular neuroimaging correlation

Introduction Obsessive-compulsive disorder is defined by the presence of obsessions and compulsions that cause marked anxiety or distress and has been associated with a disruption in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuitry. After treatment, around 50% of patients continue to experience incapacitating symptoms. Deep-brain stimulation has been shown to be an effective therapeutic alternative to regular treatment. Methods Case report. Case presentation A 54-year-old woman with a diagnosis of treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder was treated with deep-brain stimulation of the anterior limb of the internal capsule. Molecular imaging before and after the procedure was obtained and correlated with clinical features. Conclusions Deep-brain stimulation may be a therapeutic alternative to regular care in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder and can be correlated to functional changes in suspected anatomical structures.