Current treatment outcomes for obsessive-compulsive disorder patients
are far better than in past decades, but variability in treatment resp
onse remains. Most obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, but not all
, respond to antidepressant agents with prominent serotonin uptake blo
cking properties. Because clomipramine's usefulness is limited by side
effects which often accompany its use, a considerable degree of atten
tion has shifted to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. A number
of studies have also provided evidence for the effectiveness of medica
tion other than those mainly involving serotonergic function, either a
s augmenting agents or for comorbid disorders. Neurosurgery may be use
ful for highly selected subjects.