Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: an autoimmune condition

This important original study recently published in the prestigious journal Neuropsychopharmacology shows how an immune system attack on the brain gives rise to OCD: "Although serum autoantibodies directed against basal ganglia (BG) implicate autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), it is unclear whether these antibodies can cross the blood–brain barrier to bind against BG or other components of the OCD circuit...The results of our study implicate autoimmune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of OCD and also provide preliminary evidence that autoantibodies against BG and thalamus may cause OCD by modulating excitatory neurotransmission." Only a functional medicine approach comprehensively investigates and addresses the underlying causes of autoimmune disorders in an objective, evidence-based fashion.