A pilot study of fMRI targeted rTMS for obsessive compulsive disorder.

Abstract

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 2–3% [1]. Morbidity arising from this chronic condition is extremely high and often leads to significant impairment in affected individuals [2,3]. Neuroimaging studies have implicated dysfunction in frontostriatal circuitry in the pathophysiology of OCD [4], showing that there is abnormal resting activity and functional connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the caudate nucleus in people living with OCD. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) it is increasingly being investigated as a potential therapeutic option for treatment resistant OCD with one form of treatment, deep TMS, now approved for clinical use in the US.