Neurosurgical targets for compulsivity: What can we learn from acquired brain lesions?

► Obsessive-compulsive symptoms may be induced or resolved by acquired brain lesions. ► Lesions in the cortico-striato-thalamic circuit induce compulsivity. ► Lesions in the putamen, internal capsule and fronto-parietal lobe resolve compulsivity. ► Our findings support the location for current deep brain stimulation targets and reveal new ones.