Are cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits a useful model for understanding neuropsychiatric disorders?

In this chapter, we propose a model for connecting abnormalities in a brain circuit toneuropsychiatric disorders. We then go on to test this model in two candidate disorders:obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome (GTS).Although early functional and structural imaging studies were not promising, morerecent neuroimaging studies have shown clear changes in both OCD and GTS. These datagenerally support the notion of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits as being importantin the biology of both disorders although the model is still very non-specific anddirections of causation are unknown.