Compulsive hoarding
Obsessive-compulsive disorders are treated with various serotonergic antidepressants including the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine and various SSRI medications. With existing drug therapy, OCD symptoms can be controlled, but not cured. Several of these compounds (including paroxetine, which has an FDA indication) have been tested successfully in conjunction with OCD hoarding.
Cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Data obtained from this research suggests that three brain areas are involved with OCD: the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the head of the caudate nucleus. Several studies have found that in patients with OCD, these areas: (1) are hyperactive at rest relative to healthy control; (2) become increasingly active with symptom provocation; and (3) no longer exhibit hyperactivity following successful treatment with SRI pharmacotherapy or cognitive-based therapy. This understanding is frequently cited as evidence that abnormality in these neuroanatomical regions may cause OCD.