Behavior therapy: endogenous serotonin therapy?

Abstract

In numerous controlled trials, behavior therapy involving exposure and ritual prevention, either alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy, has been found to be highly effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder. Although some animal research suggests that serotonin level affects classical conditioning, there is little knowledge of the effect of conditioning or reconditioning on serotonin. Indirect support for such an effect comes from the neuroimaging research finding that behavior therapy, as well as pharmacotherapy with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, normalizes glucose metabolism in successfully treated OCD patients. A novel, automated approach to making behavior therapy more widely available via telephone is discussed.