ABSTRACT
RESUMO Hipóteses neurobiológicas sobre o Transtorno Obsessivo-Compulsivo (TOC) sugerem alterações funcionais e anatômicas em determinadas áreas cerebrais relacionadas aos sintomas. Evidências indicam que a Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental (TCC) é eficaz para o tratamento do TOC e capaz de modular padrões neurais disfuncionais. O presente estudo objetivou descrever as alterações neurobiológicas promovidas pela TCC para o TOC. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática, cuja amostra final correspondeu a cinco estudos. Em todos, houve melhora significativa do TOC e alterações neurobiológicas após a TCC, tais como redução da atividade e volume no córtex orbitofrontal, aumento da atividade no córtex cingulado anterior, tálamo e núcleo caudado. A TCC mostrou-se capaz de modular neurocircuitos envolvidos no TOC.
ABSTRACT Neurobiological theories about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) signalize functional and anatomical changes in specific areas of the brain related to its symptoms. Evidence indicates that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective in the treatment of OCD as well as capable of modulating dysfunctional neural patterns. This study aimed at describing neurobiological changes derived from the treatment of OCD with the CBT. A systematic review was carried out and its final sample consisted of five studies. In all of them, there was significant improvement of OCD as well as neurobiological changes, after CBT. The main findings were reduced activity and volume in the orbitofrontal cortex and increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus and caudate nucleus. CBT has shown to be able to modulate the neural circuits involved in OCD.