Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS

There is accumulating evidence that immune dysregulation contributes to the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome, and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). The mechanistic details of this pathophysiolog...

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Main Authors: Luciana Frick, Christopher Pittenger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Journal of Immunology Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8606057
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author Luciana Frick
Christopher Pittenger
author_facet Luciana Frick
Christopher Pittenger
author_sort Luciana Frick
collection DOAJ
description There is accumulating evidence that immune dysregulation contributes to the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome, and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). The mechanistic details of this pathophysiology, however, remain unclear. Here we focus on one particular component of the immune system: microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. The role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases has been understood in terms of classic, inflammatory activation, which may be both a consequence and a cause of neuronal damage. In OCD and Tourette syndrome, which are not characterized by frank neural degeneration, the potential role of microglial dysregulation is much less clear. Here we review the evidence for a neuroinflammatory etiology and microglial dysregulation in OCD, Tourette syndrome, and PANDAS. We also explore new hypotheses as to the potential contributions of microglial abnormalities to pathophysiology, beyond neuroinflammation, including failures in neuroprotection, lack of support for neuronal survival, and abnormalities in synaptic pruning. Recent advances in neuroimaging and animal model work are creating new opportunities to elucidate these issues.
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spelling doaj-art-0bc2fb763f5449138ec9da710f591d0b2025-08-20T02:02:54ZengWileyJournal of Immunology Research2314-88612314-71562016-01-01201610.1155/2016/86060578606057Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDASLuciana Frick0Christopher Pittenger1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USADepartment of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USAThere is accumulating evidence that immune dysregulation contributes to the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome, and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). The mechanistic details of this pathophysiology, however, remain unclear. Here we focus on one particular component of the immune system: microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. The role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases has been understood in terms of classic, inflammatory activation, which may be both a consequence and a cause of neuronal damage. In OCD and Tourette syndrome, which are not characterized by frank neural degeneration, the potential role of microglial dysregulation is much less clear. Here we review the evidence for a neuroinflammatory etiology and microglial dysregulation in OCD, Tourette syndrome, and PANDAS. We also explore new hypotheses as to the potential contributions of microglial abnormalities to pathophysiology, beyond neuroinflammation, including failures in neuroprotection, lack of support for neuronal survival, and abnormalities in synaptic pruning. Recent advances in neuroimaging and animal model work are creating new opportunities to elucidate these issues.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8606057
spellingShingle Luciana Frick
Christopher Pittenger
Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS
Journal of Immunology Research
title Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS
title_full Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS
title_fullStr Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS
title_full_unstemmed Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS
title_short Microglial Dysregulation in OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and PANDAS
title_sort microglial dysregulation in ocd tourette syndrome and pandas
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8606057
work_keys_str_mv AT lucianafrick microglialdysregulationinocdtourettesyndromeandpandas
AT christopherpittenger microglialdysregulationinocdtourettesyndromeandpandas