When it comes to a neuroanatomical understanding of psychiatric symptoms, OCD is considered the superstar of the field. A wealth of data has implicated the involvement of a specific neuroanatomical loop in OCD.

You're a cutting edge psychiatrist. Not only are you great with meds, but you have a passing knowledge of CBT (cognitive-behavior therapy) techniques for the treatment of OCD. Sorry. You're already behind the curve.

First of all, Dr. Koran, I can't resist plugging your marvelous book on OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in Adults: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide, 1999, Cambridge University Press). It's readable and chock-full of great information. How did you get into the field of OCD?

The symptoms of OCD have been known for a long time. Who can forget Lady Macbeth at the sink, scrubbing away at the imagined evidence of her guilt. But the term obsessive-compulsive disorder is a relatively recent one.

Where does it hurt? These are the “four little words” that Eli Lilly (in ubiquitous ads) is encouraging us to ask our depressed patients.

Here's a fairly typical scenario: An elderly woman comes to you as a referral from her PCP for the treatment of depression and anxiety. She hands you a well-worn 3-by-5 card with her meds listed in shaky handwriting.

When a patient tells you that she has fibromyalgia, what should you, a psychiatrist, do? Should the diagnosis alter your treatment in any way?

Dr. Fishman, you are boarded in both internal medicine and psychiatry, and have gone on to specialize in pain medicine. Can you outline your basic approach to pain symptoms in a psychiatric patient?

Although heroin-then known as diacetylmorphine-was first derived from morphine in England in 1874, it was the Bayer company in Germany that saw its commercial value as a cough remedy and pain reliever.

Roll up your sleeves; this is a no-nonsense article, in which we will lay out for you all the neuroimaging modalities currently available, with a little explanation on how each works, and a tidbit or two on how it can (or can't) be used in psychiatry.