Genetic aspects of obsessive-compulsive disorder

The familial nature of obsessive-compulsive disorder has been observed since the 1930s. Over the past 2 decades, a resurgent interest in genetic mechanisms underlying many psychiatric disorders has occurred. The changes in the understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder reflect this shift of perspective. Although major psychiatric diseases typically exhibit a complex mode of transmission, genetic factors for obsessive-compulsive disorder have been consistently associated in twin, family, genetic, segregation, and gene-association studies. These genetic factors must be represented in variations of DNA sequences.