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Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie

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Research group Endres

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Research group leaders:
 		Prof. Dr. Dominique Endres
Phone: +49 (0)761 270 - 66360
Email: dominique.endres@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Group members:Dr. Judith Weiser
Email: judith.weiser@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Dr. Alexander Maier
Email: alexander.maier.psy@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Dr. Raphael Dressle
Email: raphael.dressle@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Katharina von Zedtwitz
Email: katharina.zedtwitz@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Research focus

Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), which are characterized by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions, follow a chronic course in approximately 60% of cases with varying degrees of severity (‘waxing and waning’) and are associated with substantial individual and socioeconomic burden. The etiology of OCD is considered multifactorial and comprises complex interactions of multiple biological and non-biological factors that contribute to both symptom manifestation and maintenance. In addition, secondary obsessive-compulsive syndromes with clear organic (e.g., autoimmune-mediated) causes were reported.

In our research group, we study OCD and OCD-related disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder. A key focus of our work is on elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying OCD and related disorders. Therefore, we investigate biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid and use advanced brain imaging (using innovative magnetic resonance imaging approaches) and automated electroencephalographic methods. The aim is to identify secondary obsessive-compulsive syndromes. Secondary autoimmune OCD forms, in particular, could inform new treatment alternatives using immunotherapies. Finally, we are also studying the efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches, such as exposure therapy based on our acceptance and commitment therapy approach.

Selected publications

  • Denzel D, Runge K, Feige B, Pankratz B, Pitsch K, Schlump A, Nickel K, Voderholzer U, Tebartz van Elst L, Domschke K, Schiele MA, Endres D. Autoantibodies in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry. 2023 Jul 3;13(1):241. doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02545-9.
  • Dressle RJ, Pitsch K, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Endres D. ZOOM: Akzeptanz- und Commitment-Therapie. Nervenarzt. 2/2025. Online-Link: www.springermedizin.de/zoom-der-nervenarzt/50609996.
  • Endres D, Baldermann JC, Schiele MA, Jelinek L, Domschke K, Voderholzer U. [Update on obsessive-compulsive and related disorders]. Nervenarzt. 2025 Jul;96(4):403-415. doi.org/10.1007/s00115-025-01845-3.
  • Endres D, Domschke K, Schiele MA. [Neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder]. Nervenarzt. 2022 Jul;93(7):670-677. doi.org/10.1007/s00115-022-01331-0.
  • Endres D, Frye BC, Schlump A, Kuzior H, Feige B, Nickel K, Urbach H, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Berger B, Stich O, Venhoff N, Prüss H, Tebartz van Elst L. Sarcoidosis and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. J Neuroimmunol. 2022 Dec 15;373:577989. doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2022.577989.
  • Endres D, Hannibal L, Zaltenbach B, Schiele MA, Runge K, Nickel K, Berger B, Domschke K, Venhoff N, Prüss H, Tebartz van Elst L. Case Report: Possible autoimmune obsessive-compulsive disorder with postpartum onset. Front Immunol. 2022 Aug 30;13:970448. doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.970448.
  • Endres D, Jelinek L, Baldermann JC, Domschke K, Voderholzer U. ZOOM: Zwangsstörungen – State oft the art. Nervenarzt, 1/2025. Online-Link: www.springermedizin.de/zoom-der-nervenarzt/50609996.
  • Endres D, Jelinek L, Domschke K, Voderholzer U. [Treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorders]. Nervenarzt. 2024 May;95(5):432-439. doi.org/10.1007/s00115-024-01629-1.
  • Endres D, Maier V, Leypoldt F, Wandinger KP, Lennox B, Pollak TA, Nickel K, Maier S, Feige B, Domschke K, Prüss H, Bechter K, Dersch R, Tebartz van Elst L. Autoantibody-associated psychiatric syndromes: a systematic literature review resulting in 145 cases. Psychol Med. 2022 Apr;52(6):1135-1146. doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720002895.
  • Endres D, Lüngen E, Hasan A, Kluge M, Fröhlich S, Lewerenz J, Bschor T, Haußleiter IS, Juckel G, Then Bergh F, Ettrich B, Kertzscher L, Oviedo-Salcedo T, Handreka R, Lauer M, Winter K, Zumdick N, Drews A, Obrocki J, Yalachkov Y, Bubl A, von Podewils F, Schneider U, Szabo K, Mattern M, Philipsen A, Domschke K, Wandinger KP, Neyazi A, Stich O, Prüss H, Leypoldt F, Tebartz van Elst L. Clinical manifestations and immunomodulatory treatment experiences in psychiatric patients with suspected autoimmune encephalitis: a case series of 91 patients from Germany. Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Mar;27(3):1479-1489. doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01396-4.
  • Endres D, Mertens L, Berger B, Reisert M, Runge K, Nickel K, Domschke K, Schiele MA, Urbach H, Venhoff N, Prüss H, Tebartz van Elst L. Autoimmune Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Novel Anti-Basal Ganglia Antibodies. Psychother Psychosom. 2022;91(3):214-216. doi.org/10.1159/000522136.
  • Endres D, Pankratz B, Robinson T, Pitsch K, Göbel T, Runge K, Schlump A, Nickel K, Reisert M, Urbach H, Voderholzer U, Venhoff N, Domschke K, Prüss H, Schiele MA, Tebartz van Elst L. Autoimmune obsessive-compulsive disorder with novel anti-CNS autoantibodies in cerebrospinal fluid. Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Oct;27(10):3926-3928. doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01688-3.
  • Endres D, Pankratz B, Thiem S, Runge K, Schlump A, Feige B, Nickel K, Reisert M, Mast H, Urbach H, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Berger B, Venhoff N, Prüss H, Tebartz van Elst L. Novel anti-cytoplasmic antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with chronic severe mental disorders. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2022 Dec;23(10):794-801. doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2022.2042599.
  • Endres D, Pollak TA, Bechter K, Denzel D, Pitsch K, Nickel K, Runge K, Pankratz B, Klatzmann D, Tamouza R, Mallet L, Leboyer M, Prüss H, Voderholzer U, Cunningham JL; ECNP Network Immuno-NeuroPsychiatry; Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Schiele MA. Immunological causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: is it time for the concept of an "autoimmune OCD" subtype? Transl Psychiatry. 2022 Jan 10;12(1):5. doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01700-4.
  • Endres D, Schiele MA, Frye BC, Schlump A, Feige B, Nickel K, Berger B, Reisert M, Urbach H, Domschke K, Venhoff N, Prüss H, Tebartz van Elst L. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Inflammatory Cerebrospinal Fluid Changes and Intrathecal Antinuclear Antibody Staining. Biol Psychiatry. 2023 Jun 1;93(11):e47-e51. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.037.
  • Endres D, Schiele MA, von Zedtwitz K, Dressle RJ, Maier A, Hohagen F, Baldermann JC, Coenen VA, Jelinek L, Domschke K, Voderholzer U. Obsessive-compulsive disorder - A state-of-the-art review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2025 Aug 22;177:106320. doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106320.
  • Endres D, von Zedtwitz K, Urbach H, Dersch R, Runge K, Feige B, Nickel K, Schiele MA, Prüss H, Domschke K, Reisert M, Coenen VA. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in two patients with strategic basal ganglia lesions. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Feb;28(2):528-531. doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01853-8.
  • Göbel T, Berninger L, Schlump A, Feige B, Runge K, Nickel K, Schiele MA, van Elst LT, Hotz A, Alter S, Domschke K, Tzschach A, Endres D. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in ACTG1-associated Baraitser-Winter cerebrofrontofacial syndrome. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2022 Nov;129(11):1387-1391. doi.org/10.1007/s00702-022-02544-y.
  • Göbel T, Maier A, Schlump A, Runge K, Nickel K, Tebartz van Elst L, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Gläser B, Tzschach A, Komlosi K, Endres D. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and 15q11.2q13.1 duplication syndrome. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2024 Jan;78:67-69. doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.09.009.
  • Lüngen EM, Maier V, Venhoff N, Salzer U, Dersch R, Berger B, Riering AN, Nickel K, Fiebich BL, Süß P, Maier SJ, Egger K, Tebartz van Elst L, Endres D. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Isolated Psychiatric Symptoms and Antinuclear Antibody Detection in the Cerebrospinal Fluid. Front Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 25;10:226. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00226.
  • Maier A, Dressle RJ, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Voderholzer U, Endres D. ZOOM: Update Körperdysmorphe Störung. Nervenarzt, 5/2025. Online-Link: www.springermedizin.de/zoom-der-nervenarzt/50609996.
  • Maier A, von Zedtwitz K, Maier SJ, Feige B, Reisert M, Coenen VA, Rau A, Dressle RJ, Nickel K, Schiele MA, Gläser B, Domschke K, Komlosi K, Endres D. Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Heterozygous Microduplication of the RB1CC1 Gene. Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2025 Apr 24;5(4):100516. doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100516.
  • Matteit I, Schlump A, Reisert M, von Zedtwitz K, Runge K, Nickel K, Schiele MA, Coenen VA, Domschke K, Tzschach A, Endres D. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in two patients with chromosomal disorders involving the X chromosome. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2023 Jun-Jul;24(6):539-544. doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2022.2147997.
  • Pankratz B, Feige B, Runge K, Bechter K, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Prüss H, Tebartz van Elst L, Nickel K, Endres D. Cerebrospinal fluid findings in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and PANDAS: A systematic literature review. Brain Behav Immun. 2024 Jan;115:319-332. doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.016.
  • Runge K, Feige B, Schiele MA, von Zedtwitz K, Maier A, Stöcker N, Dressle RJ, Baldermann JC, Maier SJ, Nickel K, Prüss H, Coenen VA, Voderholzer U, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Endres D. Secondary obsessive-compulsive syndromes: A systematic literature review resulting in 228 suspected cases. Mol Psychiatry. 2026 Feb;31(2):1121-1131. doi.org/10.1038/s41380-025-03395-1.
  • Runge K, Reisert M, Feige B, Nickel K, Urbach H, Venhoff N, Tzschach A, Schiele MA, Hannibal L, Prüss H, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Endres D. Deep clinical phenotyping of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: an approach towards detection of organic causes and first results. Transl Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 7;13(1):83. doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02368-8.
  • von Zedtwitz K, Feige B, Maier A, Schaefer SL, Nickel K, Reisert M, Spiegelhalder K, Venhoff N, Brumberg J, Urbach H, Dersch R, Schiele MA, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Coenen VA, Hannibal L, Prüss H, Maier SJ, Endres D. Amphiphysin and GAD65 IgG antibodies in patients with obsessive-compulsive syndromes. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2025 Jan;90:80-82. doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.10.005.
  • von Zedtwitz K, Rau A, Brumberg J, Domschke K, Tebartz van Elst L, Prüss H, Endres D. ZOOM: Immunopsychiatrie – Detektion von autoimmun-neuroinflammatorischen Prozessen. Nervenarzt. 4/2025. Online-Link: www.springermedizin.de/zoom-der-nervenarzt/50609996.
  • von Zedtwitz K, Tebartz van Elst L, Urbach H, Groppa S, Schiele MA, Prüss H, Domschke K, Stich O, Hannibal L, Endres D. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and brain lesions compatible with multiple sclerosis. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2024 Mar;131(3):281-286. doi.org/10.1007/s00702-023-02737-z. 

 
See als: PubMed