Are YOU a slave to OCD? Scientists identify receptor in the brain responsible for symptoms – raising hopes of a single fast

July 19, 2016

Researchers genetically modified mice to give them OCD tendencies
They noticed one chemical brain receptor went into overdrive
When they fed them a drug to block that receptor, OCD behavior stopped
The effect was instantaneous, sparking hopes for a single fast-acting drug
Current treatment involves weeks, even months, of antidepressants

Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published:
15:42 EST, 19 July 2016

|
Updated:
15:42 EST, 19 July 2016

View
comments

A scientific breakthrough has identified the single brain receptor that causes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Previous studies have attributed OCD to a variety of brain functions.

But a new study by Duke University has pinpointed one chemical receptor that stimulates intrusive, obsessive thoughts and repeated compulsive behavior.

The research, published on Monday, has sparked fresh hopes of a single fast-acting drug that could treat the distressing disorder, rather than months of therapy and antidepressants.

A new study by Duke University has pinpointed one chemical receptor that stimulates intrusive, obsessive thoughts and repeated compulsive behavior. Using one chemical, they managed to stunt the behavior

The team tested their theory on mice which had been genetically modified to display OCD tendencies.

To do so, they removed the gene the creates Sapap3, a protein which connects neurons together.

Without that connection, the mice became anxious and compulsively groomed themselves.

The researchers then noted that one brain receptor – mGluR5 – became overactive.

This is the part of the brain that gives the ‘green light’ for an action, like face-washing.

Could the secret to quitting drinking or smoking be an…

Treatment for depression could be revolutionised by simple…

These same neurons can promote a habit, such as eating sweets, according to a study published by Dr Calakos’s team earlier this year.

With nothing to control the neurons, they go into overdrive.

In the new study, Dr Calakos’s team fed the mice a chemical to block mGluR5, and saw that the grooming and anxious behaviors abated.

To their surprise, the effect was instantaneous.

‘The reversibility of the symptoms was immediate – on a minute time frame,’ Dr Calakos said.

The team then took normal lab mice and deliberately boosted mGluR5 activity.

As expected, those mice instantly became anxious and compulsively groomed themselves.

The immediate effects seen in the new study were also surprising given that the brains of these mice appear developmentally immature and reversing brain disorders is not easily done.

It suggests one single-acting drug to target mGluR5 in humans could be far more effective than previously thought.

Scientists at Duke University removed one protein in brains of lab mice, which caused them to develop OCD

In Dr Calakos’s original study in 2007, using the same genetically-modified mice, the team found that antidepressants could help treat symptoms.

However, this treatment took weeks to take effect – the same amount of time as in human patients.

Dr Calakos said that mGluR5 should be considered for the treatment of compulsive behaviors.

‘But which people and which compulsive behaviors? We don’t know yet,’ she added.

OCD affects around 3.3 million people in the United States.

It is thought to affect around 12 people in every 1,000 (around 742,000) in Britain.

Some of the least disabling forms of the disorder can add an extra hour to the day’s routine, causing distress and interfering with daily life.

Some people are so affected that they cannot leave their homes.

PATIENTS SUFFERING OCD ARE 10 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE

Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are 10 times more likely to commit suicide, a study has found.

The research contradicts previous beliefs that OCD did very little to drive suicidal thoughts.

About 90 per cent of people who commit suicide are believed to suffer from mental disorders.

But few studies investigate OCD as one of those disorders.

It is one of the most common psychiatric conditions, affecting 3.3 million people in the US and 750,000 people in the UK.

In order to estimate the risk of suicide among people affected by OCD, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet analyzed data from the Swedish national registers, spanning over 40 years.

They identified 36 788 OCD patients in the Swedish National Patient Register between 1969 and 2013, of whom 545 had died by suicide and 4297 had attempted suicide.

The risk of death by suicide was approximately ten times higher, and the risk of attempted suicide five times higher than that of the general population.

After adjustment for other psychiatric disorders, the risk was reduced, but remained substantial.