Case Report: Successful Treatment of Therapy-Resistant OCD With Application of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts and impulses (obsessions), followed by repetitive thinking or behavioral acting (compulsions) which reduces the obsession-associated anxiety level. Without treatment, severity and daily duration of compulsive symptoms often increase, eventually resulting in marked social impairment and loss of employment. Psychopharmacological treatment with serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants like clomipramine, which seems to be as effective as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) leads to symptom reduction in 40–70%, and full recovery in approximately 25% of patients [ [1] Fisher P.J. Wells A. How effective and cognitive and behavioral treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder? A clinical significance analysis. Behav Res Ther. 2005; 43: 1543-1558 Crossref PubMed Scopus (264) Google Scholar ]. However, nonresponding patients [ [2] Boschen M.J. Drummond L.M. Pillay A. Treatment of severe, treatment refractory obsessive compulsive disorder: a study of inpatient and community treatment. CNS Spectr. 2008; 13: 1056-1065 Crossref PubMed Scopus (44) Google Scholar ] are usually severely ill and socially isolated without real chance for substantial clinical improvement.