FRIDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Whether to continue to classify obsessive-compulsive disorder as an anxiety disorder is controversial, according to a review in the Aug. 8 issue of The Lancet. The review notes that biological and behavioral models can explain some aspects of the disorder and have helped to develop treatments.

Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and colleagues reviewed the medical literature on obsessive-compulsive disorder, with particular focus on the past five years.

The researchers note that controversy exists about whether obsessive-compulsive disorder should be classified as an anxiety disorder or a group of obsessive-compulsive-related disorders. Biological models suggest dysfunction of various brain circuits, including the serotonin pathway, while the cognitive-behavioral model emphasizes the importance of dysfunctional beliefs. Neither model fully explains the disorder, they note, but have led to empirical treatments including serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

"New developments in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder involve medications that work in conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy, the most promising of which is D-cycloserine," Abramowitz and colleagues conclude.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)