Role of basal ganglia in OCD?

Andrew Huberman explains that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves dysfunction in both cortical and subcortical areas of the brain, particularly highlighting the orbital frontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, and the basal ganglia, including structures like the caudate and putamen 1. The basal ganglia play a significant role due to their involvement in go (action-initiating) and no-go (action-withholding) behaviors 2 3.

One key circuit implicated in OCD is the cortico-striatal-thalamic loop. Studies suggest that stimulation or disruption of this loop can induce OCD-like behaviors, such as excessive grooming in animal models or intensified compulsive actions in humans 4. The basal ganglia's miswiring in relation to dopamine reward systems exacerbates the obsession-compulsion cycle, where compulsions fail to relieve and instead worsen the obsession 5.

Overall, treatment approaches often aim at normalizing the function of these circuits, incorporating behavioral interventions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help patients manage anxiety and resist compulsions, sometimes combined with medications to enhance neuroplasticity and correct neural miswirings 6 7.