Anxiety and related disorders: neurocircuitry of OCD: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Anxiety and related disorders: neurocircuitry of OCD

Sample item

Functional imaging in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which often normalises with successful treatment, shows abnormal activity in which circuit?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and caudate nucleus

OCD is linked with hyperactivity in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops involving the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and caudate nucleus. Effective SSRI treatment or behaviour therapy tends to reduce this activity.

Option by option

  • A. Occipital cortex and lateral geniculate body

    The occipital cortex and lateral geniculate body belong to the visual pathway.

  • B. Cerebellum and red nucleus

    The cerebellum and red nucleus are motor coordination structures, not the OCD circuit.

  • C. Orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and caudate nucleus (correct)

    Correct. The orbitofrontal-cingulate-caudate loop is the circuit implicated in OCD.

  • D. Hippocampus and mammillary bodies

    The hippocampus and mammillary bodies belong to the memory circuit of Papez.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is C, Orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and caudate nucleus. OCD is linked with hyperactivity in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops involving the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and caudate nucleus.

Why is "Occipital cortex and lateral geniculate body" not the answer?

The occipital cortex and lateral geniculate body belong to the visual pathway.

Why is "Cerebellum and red nucleus" not the answer?

The cerebellum and red nucleus are motor coordination structures, not the OCD circuit.

Why is "Hippocampus and mammillary bodies" not the answer?

The hippocampus and mammillary bodies belong to the memory circuit of Papez.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Anxiety and related disorders: neurocircuitry of OCD in Psychiatry. Effective SSRI treatment or behaviour therapy tends to reduce this activity.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Anxiety and related disorders: neurocircuitry of OCD?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.