Neurobiology of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder from Genes to Circuits: Insights from Animal Models
Ying‑Dan Zhang1 · Dong‑Dong Shi1,2 · Zhen Wang1,2,31 Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
2 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China
3 Shanghai Intelligent Psychological Evaluation and Intervention Engineering Technology Research Center, Shanghai 200030, China
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, severe psychiatric disorder that has been ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the leading causes of illness-related disability, and first-line interventions are limited in efficacy and have side-effect issues. However, the exact pathophysiology underlying this complex, heterogeneous disorder remains unknown. This scenario is now rapidly changing due to the advancement of powerful technologies that can be used to verify the function of the specific gene and dissect the neural circuits underlying the neurobiology of OCD in rodents. Genetic and circuit-specific manipulation in rodents has provided important insights into the neurobiology of OCD by identifying the molecular, cellular, and circuit events that induce OCD-like behaviors. This review will highlight recent progress specifically toward classic genetic animal models and advanced neural circuit findings, which provide theoretical evidence for targeted intervention on specific molecular, cellular, and neural circuit events.
Keywords
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); Animal models; Genes; Circuits; Neurobiology
