The cerebral basis of obsessions and compulsions has attracted increasing attention in neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry. Clinical and imaging studies have suggested frontal lobe dysfunction in some cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome with obsessional symptoms. We compared EEG spectral measures in 20 such patients not taking medications and 12 neurologically intact unmedicated controls. EEG was recorded from 01-A1+A2, O2-A1+A2, Fz-A1+A2, F7-C3, F8-C4, T5-O1 and T6-O2. One-minute epochs of artifact-free EEG were used for compressed spectral array and calculation of time domain descriptors. We measured modal alpha frequency (MAF), maximal alpha frequency (MxAF), spectral edge frequency and spectral mobility in left and right frontal regions (MOLF and MORF). MAF and MxAF were reduced in the frontal regions in patients as compared to controls, and MOLF and MORF were both lower. No significant differences between patients and controls were found in the temporal or occipital areas. These observations support the suggestions of a physiologic basis for obsessions and compulsions, and of frontal lobe disturbance in their pathophysiology.

This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.