Obsessive-compulsive disorder in a patient with SCA type 1.

Abstract

For many years, the cerebellum was thought to be only responsible for balance, movement, planning and execution. Nowadays, it is well accepted that most cerebellar connections are involved in non-mo tor functions. Herein, we provide a case report in which a 27-year- -old Brazilian male, diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), has demonstrated cerebellar features that could be connec ted to Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA-1), an autosomal dominant polyglutamine neurodegenerative disorder that had been previously ruled out. Since obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) are known to correlate with alterations in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuitry, we propose a possible association between OCS and SCA onset.