Bilateral anterior cingulotomy for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: Long-term follow-up results.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term efficacy and adverse cognitive effects of stereotactic bilateral anterior cingulotomy as a treatment for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients suffering from refractory OCD underwent stereotactic bilateral anterior cingulotomies and were followed for 24 months. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Clinical Global Impression and other neuropsychological tests were used to assess the efficacy and cognitive changes of cingulotomy. The tests were taken before and 12 and 24 months after surgery.

RESULTS: The mean improvement rate of the Y-BOCS score achieved from the baseline was 48%. Eight patients out of 17 met the responder criteria. During the 24-month follow-up, there were no significant adverse effects observed after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral anterior cingulotomy was effective for the treatment of refractory OCD, and no other significant adverse cognitive effects on long-term follow-up were found.