Many neuroimaging studies have implicated the orbital frontal cortex
(OFC) in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In recent
years there have been significant advances in elucidating the anatomical
characteristics of the OFC in nonhuman primates. The authors review
literature on the cytoarchitecture and afferent and efferent connections of
the OFC, giving particular attention to the OFC's relationship to limbic
and paralimbic regions, the mediodorsal thalamus, the basal ganglia, and
sensory association cortices. These cytoarchitectural divisions and
connections are discussed in terms of how they may influence thinking about
the OFC's contribution to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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