Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project
 
UPDATED: Sun, 10/21/2007 - 9:35pm

  • Epilepsy First Aid
  • Seizure Medication
  • Videos
  • Seizure Diary
  • Find a Doctor
  • Epilepsy Centers
  • Clinical Trials
  • Event Calendar

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder in which a person repeatedly dwells on unwanted ideas or feels compelled to perform rituals to relieve tension, to such an extent that the person's life is disrupted. (Well-known examples of such rituals include continually washing one's hands or checking dozens of times to see if the door is locked before leaving home.)

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms occur in a wide range of neurological and medical disorders other than epilepsy. It may appear in patients with a variety of diseases affecting the basal ganglia, such as Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, and Huntington's disease. It may occur after some kinds of head injury or may be part of some illnesses that cause progressive dementia.

OCD is uncommon (some would say rare) in people with epilepsy, but there does seem to be a connection. OCD is seen most often in those with complex partial seizures originating in the temporal or frontal lobe, or seizures originating in the anterior cingulate gyrus, near the corpus callosum.

Although it is unclear why OCD tends to occur with epilepsy, evidence of the association is quite convincing. Early studies suggested that epilepsy caused certain personality characteristics to develop, including obsessional traits. Some evidence suggested an increased likelihood of a general personality disorder in epilepsy. Others found that different types of epilepsy may be associated with different forms of abnormal thinking or behavior. A well-known article by Waxman and Geschwind (1975) suggested that temporal lobe epilepsy could be linked to a specific behavioral syndrome. Obsessional traits were described as an additional component of this syndrome. Many have felt that symptoms of OCD might occur as a result of generalized personality factors associated with epilepsy.

A number of studies published in the 1980s and 1990s reported a more specific association between OCD and epilepsy. Most of the evidence linking OCD with epilepsy has come from case studies and clinical observations, however, rather than from studies of large groups. In most cases, the patients did not show obsessive-compulsive symptoms before the onset of seizures. Some have suggested that in some people with epilepsy, OCD may be a form of "forced thinking," new thoughts that intrude into the patient's awareness at the onset of a seizure. This behavior may also occur without seizure activity.

Some investigators have tried to use the connection of OCD with epilepsy to look for information about the mechanisms underlying each disorder. The most widely proposed theories suggest a kindling effect, in which seizures localized to one area of the brain stimulate another area (such as the limbic region), leading to the emergence of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Some have documented that epileptic discharges from frontal and limbic brain regions make patients particularly susceptible to this type of behavior. Some have noted symptoms occurring solely after areas of the brain have been removed in epilepsy surgery. Others have seen a link between OCD and seizures originating from the left cerebral hemisphere. Evidence supporting these theories is mainly speculative at this time, however.

Keren L. Isaacs, M.Phil.
George Washington University

Reference
Waxman SG, Geschwind N. The interictal behavior syndrome in temporal lobe epilepsy. Arch Gen Psychiatry 32:1580-1586, 1975. PMID: 1200777

Topic Editor: Andres M. Kanner, M.D.
Last Reviewed:11/13/03


Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.

No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.


Turn the page on your treatment by starting your Epilepsy Diary today.

Keeping a daily record of your seizures can help you and your doctor better understand and treat your epilepsy.

Open my epiCom Diary


    Title Posted
    How long is open trileptal suspension bottle good for?  
    Sholow
    Can we have white chocolate?  
    lilcrumb3
    Keppra and depression  
    jennysomers
    AFTER SURGERY-IS THAT FEELING A SEIZURE???????  
    gregg9130
    Frontal Lobe Epilepsy  
    Jesscottwvwv
    seizure recovery...  
    jubatum
    Epileptologist in DFW?  
    dhemphill
    Controlling Anxiety  
    Alang
    Confused about some terminology  
    drowsydreamer
    Top Ranked Hospital or Best Neurologist with Epilepsy Specialty in Southern California / Los Angeles / Pasadena  
    bobfrank30
    View all Forums

    Title Page Views
    my.epilepsy.com Updates  
    epi_help
    topamax and weight loss  
    alexia mom
    kepra  
    brian mattingly
    Possible cure for absence seizures  
    pdl1
    Epilepsy and marijuana  
    cjad234
    Sexual Side Effects  
    George R
    How exactly do aura's feel  
    WendyBendy
    MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
    picnupthepcs
    Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
    spiz
    electrical shock in head?  
    Maggie
    View all Forums

    Title Posted
    No change in feelings about setup at home

    Title Posted
    Depression and Epilepsy  
    MichaelK
    What a day!  
    epi_help
    Results with my Neurologist, med changes and life changes  
    Gina Marie
    i broke his ankle...  
    jacky99
    Sleep deprivation EEG  
    freedbythewind
    TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
    cmscribbles
    Links of London jewelry  
    tiffanyblog
    A novice writer needs YOUR help!  
    ACSutliff
    Heck of a day  
    4mygirl2
    vaic t800 TV cell phone with camera  
    agoodsellers
    View all Blogs

    Title Page Views
    Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts  
    Butterflygrl
    my partial complex seizures  
    Zanna1211
    Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
    Dr Jason
    Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
    JudiS
    side effects of phenobarb.  
    pksmom
    Feeling Sick  
    JBJ1984
    How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
    epl_controller
    Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
    Butterflygrl
    TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
    cmscribbles
    Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
    teft
    View all Blogs

    Title Posted
    giving humans another try ;)  
    bookworm03
    View all Stories

    Title Posted
    WHY???????????????????????  
    marymm
    Ugg Bailey Button Boots–Your Winter Footwear  
    lovetiffany
    Ceremony to welcome President Hu Jintao to the country, accompanied by up to 200 people Barack Obama Barack Obama  
    nicky001
    Ten best sale cell phones(one) in Otc:A2688 TV cell phone  
    agoodseller
    new roads to travel  
    Marsha Cash
    febrile seizures  
    febrileseizures
    6 months post brain surgery  
    robin4902
    James Rowell  
    jamesrowell
    Police Officer with Epilepsy  
    Rob Jamieson
    So Wonderful of Using a Video Baby Monitor  
    buyairshoe
    View all Stories

    Place Your Advertisement Here
    All ad revenues support the mission
    of the Epilepsy Therapy Project