Brain inflammation linked to repetitive behaviors in autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder

A research team has unveiled the cause and molecular mechanism of chronic brain inflammation that results in repetitive behavioral disorders. The research team demonstrated that an inflammatory response by immune cells in the brain induces overactivity in certain receptors, which may, in turn, lead to the meaningless repetitive behaviors observed in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).