Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 November 2014
All the research to date implicates serotonin as the major neurotransmitter involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Much of the evidence has come from clinical treatment studies, which have shown the specific antiobsessional effect of drugs that are potent inhibitors of serotonin reuptake. Only the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the potent inhibitors of serotonin reuptake have been shown to be effective in treating patients with OCD. Serotonin receptor inhibitors and SSRIs have been thoroughly investigated in short- and long-term placebo-controlled studies and all have been found to be effective in OCD.