Abstract:

Background: Thelifetime prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) is estimated to be around 3% in the general population. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered to be the primary treatment strategy of OCD in addition to psychotherapy. Unfortunately, current medications, augmentation strategies, and behavioral therapies fail to provide adequate benefits in many cases. A large percentage of patients (40-60%) do not show satisfactory response to the standard treatments, some of them experiencing a chronically deteriorating course, leading to marked interpersonal and occupational impairments. In recent years, non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation have been increasingly studied as potential adjunct or alternative therapies for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric conditions including pain disorder, depression, and stroke rehabilitation and OCD.

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