What's the relationship between dopamine and ocd?

There is a significant amount of evidence obtained from volumetric imaging(1)(2), blood flood analysis, and receptor binding studies that have implicated the basal ganglia in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(3). read more

"Characteristics of Obsessive–compulsive Symptoms in Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive–compulsive Disorder, and Parkinson's Disease." Psychiatry Research 70.2 (1997): 105­14. Web. 30 Aug. 2016. read more

This blog post focuses on the compulsive behaviors associated with OCD and evidence for an influence of the dopaminergic reward system. I will discuss a couple of studies relating dopamine to a variety of compulsive behaviors and the effect of rewards on these compulsions. I will then relate these findings to OCD. read more

Knowing that dopamine has a direct relationship to the pleasure principle and impulses, scientists began researching the role that dopamine plays in OCD. Using PET scans and other types of imaging, researchers have indeed found that there is an over-production of dopamine in individuals with OCD. read more