Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.
Genome-wide analyses identify 30 loci associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Neurosurgical neuromodulation therapy for psychiatric disorders.
Regional, circuit and network heterogeneity of brain abnormalities in psychiatric disorders.
What's happening now
An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.
- 2 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q2 2027.
Clinical MilestonesViewHide
- 2026-05-20Fluoxetine/Dextromethorphan in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: an Open-Label Crossover Pilot StudyResults expected Q2 2027
- 2026-04-24Examining Mu Opioid Mechanisms of Ketamine's Rapid Effects in OCD (MKET2)Results expected Q4 2028
- 2026-05-20ClinicalFluoxetine/Dextromethorphan in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: an Open-Label Crossover Pilot StudyResults expected Q2 2027
- 2026-04-24ClinicalExamining Mu Opioid Mechanisms of Ketamine's Rapid Effects in OCD (MKET2)Results expected Q4 2028
- 2026-02-13ClinicalA Multicenter, Long-Term Open-Label Safety Study of Adjunctive Troriluzole in Subjects With Obsessive Compulsive DisorderTerminated
- 2026-01-22ClinicalA Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Adjunctive Troriluzole in Obsessive Compulsive DisorderResults posted
Clinical trials
The current development programme across all trial phases.
Research activity
Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.
Major themes8
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder6
- Autism Spectrum Disorder2
- Mental Disorders2
- Alcoholism1
- Anorexia Nervosa1
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity1
- Bipolar Disorder1
- Cell Differentiation1
Leading journals6
- Annual review of immunology1
- JAMA psychiatry1
- Molecular psychiatry1
- Nature genetics1
- Nature neuroscience1
- Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics1
Leading researchers8
- Andreassen OA3
- Arnold PD2
- Banaj N2
- Bellgrove MA2
- Brennan BP2
- Davey CG2
- Denys D2
- Franke B2
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
- University of California3
- University of Oslo3
- University of Toronto3
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers2
- Bellvitge University Hospital2
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM)2
Related conditions
Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.
Disease profile
A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder marked by recurrent, persistent obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, ideas, or images that are experienced as senseless or repugnant, while compulsions are repetitive, seemingly purposeful behaviors that are usually recognized by the person as senseless and may relieve tension.
The disorder is partly caused by genetic factors. The supplied grounding does not support a more specific aetiology.
The literature grounding links OCD to genetic risk distributed across many loci and to brain systems involving excitatory neurons in the hippocampus and cortex, as well as D1- and D2-type dopamine receptor-containing medium spiny neurons. Review material also supports a network-level view in which symptoms may reflect dysregulated brain circuits, and it notes microglia as important CNS homeostatic cells whose dysregulation can contribute to neurological disease, but it does not establish a specific microglial mechanism for OCD.
The supplied grounding supports genetic susceptibility as a risk factor. It also indicates that OCD has an early age at onset in many cases, but does not provide specific environmental or clinical risk factors.
The grounding supports treatment with drug therapy and therapy, without specifying a particular drug class. It also supports noninvasive brain stimulation approaches, and neurosurgical neuromodulation such as deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory cases.
AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 6 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.
Reference
Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.
An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, persistent obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are the intrusive ideas, thoughts, or images that are experienced as senseless or repugnant. Compulsions are repetitive and seemingly purposeful behavior which the individual generally recognizes as senseless and from which the individual does not derive pleasure although it may provide a release from tension.
- Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
- Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
- Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.