Disturbo ossessivo-compulsivo e disturbi correlati : aggiornamenti clinico-biologici e indicazioni future

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders, being associated with high rates of comorbidity and treatment-resistance. Over the last two decades, several acquisitions in the biological and clinical fields have allowed to point out several overlapping issues among OCD and other psychiatric disorders belonging to different diagnostic groups. These conditions, referred as obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRDs), include many distinct psychiatric conditions (i.e. somatoform disorders, eating disorders, impulse control disorders and some neurological conditions) which have overlapping symptoms and compulsive qualities with OCD. Even though effective treatments exist, OCD and OCRDs are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive-behavioural therapy represent the first-line treatment for OCD and related disorders. The time and the doses of medications used in the treatment of OCD and related disorders differ from those recommended in depressive disorders. In patients with partial or no response to first-line treatments, augmentation strategies and brain stimulation techniques might be considered.