Effect of curcumin on quinpirole induced compulsive checking: An approach to determine the predictive and construct validity of the model

BACKGROUND: Disorders of anxiety vary in severity to a wide extent, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) persists as the fourth most common form of mental illness and is reported to be associated with memory impairment, necessitating effective means of treatment. AIM: To study the effect of curcumin on OCD. METHODS: The present study includes the determination of effect of curcumin at 5 and 10 mg/kg in quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg) -induced model of OCD, memory retention and brain monoamine levels in rats. RESULTS: A significant improvement from the obsessive-compulsive symptoms induced by quinpirole was observed in curcumin treated rats; curcumin showed a protective effect on memory task. An increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the dopamine levels were observed in curcumin treated rats. CONCLUSION: Curcumin treatment had shown a protective effect in OCD with considerable influence on brain monoamine levels, thus providing an evidence for the predictive and construct validity of the model.