Task-Based Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Hypothesis-Driven Review

The neurobiological basis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been probed using functional magnetic resonance in hundreds of studies over three decades. This complex literature can be syntheized using a theory-informed approach. At a theoretical level, separable, independent, constructs of relevance to OCD have been identified. At the experimental level, extensive translational evidence has provided an account that relates specific brain systems to these neuropsychological constructs. Parallels between neural substrates implicated in OCD and functional specialization of different brain regions suggest that abnormalities within fronto-striatal circuitry impinge on executive functions, and their subcomponents, and on goal-directed learning and habit formation. In OCD, this is reflected at a functional level in patterns of abnormal activations in particular brain regions during specific cognitive tasks. However, many issues still need to be addressed. The authors suggest that the experimental context might represent a pivotal variable that should be taken into account.