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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising new treatment for patients with treatment-refractory obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, since most DBS patients only show a partial response, the treatment still needs to be improved. In this study we hypothesized that cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) could optimize the post-operative management in DBS and we evaluated the efficacy of CBT as augmentation to DBS targeted at the nucleus accumbens.

A total of 16 patients with treatment-refractory OCD were treated with DBS targeted at the nucleus accumbens. After stabilization of decline in OCD symptoms, a standardized 24-week CBT treatment programme was added to DBS in an open-phase trial of 8 months. Changes in obsessive–compulsive, anxiety and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and …