Provocation of obsessive–compulsive symptoms: a quantitative voxel-based meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies

Abstract

Consistent results across functional neuroimaging studies suggest that the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices are involved in the mediation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Based on recent literature, we suggest that activations within the dorsal frontoparietal network might be related to patients' efforts to resist the obsessive processes induced by the provocation task. Further research should elucidate the specific neural correlates of the various cognitive and emotional functions altered in OCD.