Howard Hughes and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Exploring the role that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) had to play in the demise of Howard Hughes.

The Aviator, the film that won five of this year’s Oscars, tells the story of the first forty years of Howard Hughes’ life. A man obsessed with beautiful women (none of whom made it into a lasting relationship with him), with making movies (none of which turned into classics in the mould of Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind or Casablanca), and with designing – and flying, to his own near demise – larger and faster aeroplanes (none of which made it into production). Hughes was afflicted with another obsession, now recognised as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

The disease is not so uncommon: 1 in 50 of the population is afflicted with it. OCD is manifested by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. Hughes was haunted by the threat of microbial infections – from food and from his surroundings – and reacted by avoiding contact with possible sources of dirt and by constant washing of his hands. Typically of OCD sufferers, he also could not stop himself from repeating again and again certain phrases that came to his mind.

What underlies OCD?

Deep within our brain lies a structure called the striatum. This is made up of two parts, known as the caudate nucleus and putamen. Each part consists of a mass of nerve cells, that are involved in the processing of messages from other parts of the brain. The messages are concerned with sensory information (like seeing a speck of dirt) and with translating such information into body movements (like rubbing one’s hands together). In people with OCD, it appears that the caudate nucleus may not be functioning properly. Normally the translation of sensory inputs into motor outputs (moving parts of the body through the innervation of particular muscles) is smooth and finite: a speck of dirt is seen, the hands react to wipe it away. End of story. Any misdirected feelings and stray movements are somehow filtered out. In OCD the filtering mechanism is faulty. Obsessive movements, like rubbing the hands together or repeating phrases, results.