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A pilot study of penicillin prophylaxis for neuropsychiatric exacerbations triggered by streptococcal infections.

BACKGROUND: Some children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders appear to have symptom exacerbations triggered by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections in a manner that is similar to rheumatic fever and its neurologic variant, Sydenham's chorea. Because penicillin prophylaxis has proven to be effective in preventing recurrences of rheumatic fever, it was postulated that it might also prevent streptococcal-triggered neuropsychiatric symptom exacerbations in children with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS). These children are identified by five clinical characteristics: presence of OCD or tic disorder, prepubertal onset, episodic symptom course, neurologic abnormalities (i.e., choreiform movements) and streptococcal-triggered symptom exacerbations. METHODS: Thirty-seven children with PANDAS were enrolled in an 8 month, double-blind, balanced cross-over study. Patients were randomized to receive either 4 months of the active compound (twice daily oral 250 mg penicillin V) followed by 4 months of placebo, or placebo followed by penicillin V. Tic, OCD, and other psychiatric symptoms were monitored monthly. Throat cultures and streptococcal antibody titers were also obtained. RESULTS: There were an equal number of infections in both the active and placebo phases of the study. There was no significant change seen in either the obsessive-compulsive or tic symptom severity between the two phases. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the failure to achieve an acceptable level of streptococcal prophylaxis, no conclusions can be drawn from this study regarding the efficacy of penicillin prophylaxis in preventing tic or OCD symptom exacerbations. Future studies should employ a more effective prophylactic agent, and include a larger sample size.

Adolescent↗

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections: clinical description of the first 50 cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of a novel group of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders, designated as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal (group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal [GABHS]) infections (PANDAS). METHOD: The authors conducted a systematic clinical evaluation of 50 children who met all of the following five working diagnostic criteria: presence of OCD and/or a tic disorder, prepubertal symptom onset, episodic course of symptom severity, association with GABHS infections, and association with neurological abnormalities. RESULTS: The children's symptom onset was acute and dramatic, typically triggered by GABHS infections at a very early age (mean = 6.3 years, SD = 2.7, for tics; mean = 7.4 years, SD = 2.7, for OCD). The PANDAS clinical course was characterized by a relapsing-remitting symptom pattern with significant psychiatric comorbidity accompanying the exacerbations; emotional lability, separation anxiety, nighttime fears and bedtime rituals, cognitive deficits, oppositional behaviors, and motoric hyperactivity were particularly common. Symptom onset was triggered by GABHS infection for 22 (44%) of the children and by pharyngitis (no throat culture obtained) for 14 others (28%). Among the 50 children; there were 144 separate episodes of symptom exacerbation; 45 (31%) were associated with documented GABHS infection, 60 (42%) with symptoms of pharyngitis or upper respiratory infection (no throat culture obtained), and six (4%) with GABHS exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The working diagnostic criteria appear to accurately characterize a homogeneous patient group in which symptom exacerbations are triggered by GABHS infections. The identification of such a subgroup will allow for testing of models of pathogenesis, as well as the development of novel treatment and prevention strategies.

Acute Disease↗

A family study of juvenile obsessive-compulsive disorder.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether juvenile obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is familial and whether the rate of Tourette syndrome (TS) and tic disorders is higher among relatives of patients with OCD than among relatives of controls subjects. METHOD: We assessed first-degree relatives of 35 juvenile OCD probands (aged 16 years or less) and 34 matched, psychiatrically unaffected control subjects, using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised (DICA-R) (unpublished), a Questionnaire for tic disorders, the Children's Version of Leyton's Obsessional Inventory (CV-LOI), and the Children's Version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). Similarly, we assessed adult relatives, using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), Leyton's Obsessional Inventory (LOI), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and a Questionnaire for tic disorders. The diagnoses were determined by consensus, using DSM-III-R criteria. We calculated age-corrected morbid risk, using Weinberg's method. RESULTS: The morbid risk for OCD among the relatives of OCD probands was 4.96%, while none of the relatives of unaffected control subjects had OCD. We did not diagnose TS in any of the relatives of either OCD probands or control subjects. We diagnosed chronic motor tic disorders in only 1 of the relatives of OCD probands, while none of the relatives of control subjects had any tic disorder. CONCLUSION: Most juvenile cases of OCD are nonfamilial and unrelated to tic disorders, while only a few are familial. There is a need to re-examine the issue of familiality in cases of OCD, as well as its relation to TS, using larger community samples to better understand the hypotheses of familial transmission and comorbidity with tic disorders.

Adolescent↗

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders and streptococcal infections: role of otolaryngologist.

OBJECTIVE: To increase awareness and understanding of the putative role of streptococcal infection in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders in children and to discuss therapeutic options in this group of patients. METHODS: Case illustration and literature review. RESULTS: Two siblings, one with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and one with a tic disorder, had tonsillectomy for recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis. At the latest follow-up visit (11 mo postoperatively), both patients exhibited significant improvement in their psychiatric illnesses. We discuss these cases as well as the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). CONCLUSION: PANDAS is an active area of research investigating the relationship between streptococcal infections and the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder or tic disorders (or both) in children. The etiopathogenesis of PANDAS is thought to reflect autoimmune mechanisms and involvement of the basal ganglia of susceptible hosts. Because otolaryngologists evaluate a large portion of pediatric patients with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis, it is important to be aware of this association and to manage these patients appropriately.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Validity and reliability of Polish adaptation of Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) in a study of Warsaw schoolchildren aged 12-15].

The aim of the study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Polish adaptation of the YGTSS scale in a study screening a population of 1579 schoolchildren for tic disorders. The scale was administered to 60 children with diagnosis of a tic disorder (15 had transient tic disorder; 37 had chronic tic disorder, and 8 had Tourette disorder). Reliability was computed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and by evaluation of its internal consistency. Theoretical validity of the scale was evaluated using factor analysis. The computed Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the YGTSS scale was 0.73. All items (except phonic tic complexity) highly correlated with their respective subscale scores. Factor analysis of YGTSS revealed two principal components that recombined the items into categories identical to motor and vocal tic subscales. The overall impairment item loading corresponded to motor tic subscale. The YGTSS scale used in a population sample of 12-15 year old schoolchildren has acceptable validity and reliability. Additional study testing psychometric parameters of the scale could be beneficial, involving subjects with Tourette syndrome with wider age range and interrater agreement

Adolescent↗

Psychometric properties of the Farsi translation of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version.

BACKGROUND: Semi-structural clinical interviews are very important in the area of mental health research and services. There were no studies of the reliability and validity of the Farsi (Persian) version of Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) in Iran. This study compares the results of face-to-face, semi-structural interview and clinical interview by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. METHOD: Subjects were 109 children and adolescents recruited to the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic of Hafez Hospital. Order of interview (in-psychiatrist or the semi-structural interview) was determined using random assignment within a counterbalanced framework. After, translation and back translation of K-SADS-PL, the Farsi version of K-SADS-PL was provided and used in the study. The interviewer was unaware of the child and adolescent psychiatrist diagnosis at the time of making the interview. Consensual validity, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive validity for the disorders were studied. RESULTS: Consensual validity of all of the psychiatric disorders was good to excellent. It was highest for panic disorder, conduct disorder, and simple phobia. Consensual validity of anorexia nervosa was 0.49. There was sufficient validity and test-retest and inter-rater reliability and good to excellent sensitivity and specificity and positive and negative predictive validity for nearly all of the disorders. Test-retest reliabilities of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and tic disorder were 0.81, 0.67, and 0.56; respectively. Inter-rater reliabilities of ADHD, and ODD were 0.69 and 0.69. Tic disorder, post traumatic disorder, panic disorder, and ADHD had the highest positive predictive validities. CONCLUSION: The Farsi version of K-SADS-PL is a valid and reliable interview instrument for use in assessing and diagnosing child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗

Is parental report of upper respiratory infection at the onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder suggestive of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection?

The diagnosis of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) requires a prospectively determined association between group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tic disorder. Screening for GABHS infection imposes a significant burden on both patient and clinician. To heighten the index of suspicion for PANDAS, it would be useful to know if parent-reported upper respiratory infection (URI) is associated with PANDAS symptoms or associated characteristics. Eighty-three consecutive, clinically referred patients aged 6 to 17 years with a primary diagnosis of OCD and their primary caregivers were asked about URI signs and symptoms at the time of OCD onset, PANDAS symptoms, OCD and tic symptoms, comorbidity, and putative PANDAS risk factors. Specific inquiry regarding URI symptoms proved more informative than general inquiry. In the URI present versus URI absent group, more patients experienced a sudden rather than insidious onset of symptoms. Additionally, more patients with a URI plus sudden onset exhibited a comorbid tic disorder. Until validated biomarkers permit retrospective diagnosis, a history that OCD began around the time of a URI should clue the clinician to look prospectively for PANDAS. Additional research is required to define the boundaries of PANDAS and to develop psychometrically reliable and valid diagnostic strategies.

Adolescent↗

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of metoclopramide for the treatment of Tourette's disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The pattern of dopamine antagonism by metoclopramide suggests benefits in the treatment of tic disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of metoclopramide in the treatment of children and adolescents with tic disorders. METHOD: Twenty-seven medication-free patients (age 11.9 +/- 2.7 years) with Tourette's disorder or a chronic tic disorder participated in an 8-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of metoclopramide. Metoclopramide was started at 5 mg daily and titrated as needed to a maximum dose of 40 mg daily. Tics were rated every 2 weeks, and adverse effects, including weight, cardiac, and laboratory measures, were monitored. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, subjects receiving metoclopramide showed a 39% reduction in their total tic score on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, while subjects receiving placebo showed only a 13% reduction in tic severity (p = .001). Metoclopramide was well tolerated with no significant laboratory or cardiac changes noted other than an increase in serum prolactin. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this small controlled study suggest that metoclopramide is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for children and adolescents with tic disorders. Further trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety in pediatric patients and adults.

Adolescent↗

"Just right" perceptions associated with compulsive behavior in Tourette's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Tourette's syndrome is a chronic disorder of childhood onset that is characterized by motor and phonic tics and a broad range of associated behavior including obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Less well appreciated are the sensory and other perceptually tinged mental phenomena associated with both tic and compulsive behavior. This cross-sectional study evaluated the "just-right" phenomena commonly associated with compulsive behavior in subjects with tic disorders. METHOD: A total of 134 subjects with tic disorders, aged 9 to 71 years, completed a questionnaire concerning their current and past tic symptoms. Subjects were also asked to describe their "just right" perceptions. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was used to assess severity of current obsessive-compulsive symptoms. RESULTS: Eight-one percent of the subjects with both Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder (N = 31) and 56% of the subjects with Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (N = 61) reported being aware of a need to perform compulsions until they were "just right." This awareness most commonly referred to visual or tactile (as opposed to auditory) features of the compulsive act or its consequences. Three-quarters of the subjects with these perceptions reported that they usually were aware of them immediately before or concurrently with the initiation of compulsions. CONCLUSIONS: While epidemiological studies of tic disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder have yet to incorporate questions concerning "just right" perceptions, these results suggest that such perceptions may be commonplace in adolescent and adult subjects with both obsessive-compulsive disorder and tic disorders. They also implicate brain regions involved in the processing of sensorimotor information in the pathobiology of tic disorders.

Adolescent↗

Otolaryngologic presentation of tic-like disorders.

Common otolaryngologic symptoms such as coughing and sneezing may not be manifestations of disease of the upper respiratory tract. Two cases are reported in which these symptoms were the first evidence of tic-like disorders. A short discussion of one such disorder, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, is presented. The entity of paroxysmal sneezing is also mentioned. It is pointed out that, in the absence of otolaryngologic disease, these disorders may first present to an otolaryngologist for diagnosis.

Child↗

The psychiatric symptoms of rheumatic fever.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the frequency and age at onset of psychiatric disorders among children with rheumatic fever, Sydenham's chorea, or both and a comparison group. METHOD: Twenty children with rheumatic fever, 22 with Sydenham's chorea, and 20 comparison children were assessed by means of a semistructured interview and rating scales for tic disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. RESULTS: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were more frequent in both the Sydenham's chorea and rheumatic fever groups than in the comparison group. The Sydenham's chorea group had a higher frequency of major depressive disorder, tic disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than both the comparison and rheumatic fever groups. ADHD symptoms were associated with a higher risk of developing Sydenham's chorea. CONCLUSIONS: Both the rheumatic fever and Sydenham's chorea groups were associated with a higher risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders than the comparison group. ADHD appears to be a risk factor for Sydenham's chorea in children with rheumatic fever.

Age Factors↗

Whole blood serotonin in juvenile obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Whole blood serotonin (5-HT) concentration was assessed in 16 children and adolescents with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and in 14 normal adolescent controls. There was no difference in blood 5-HT content between the OCD patients and the normal controls. However, the OCD patients with a family history of OCD had significantly higher blood 5-HT levels than did either the OCD patients without a family history of OCD or the normal controls. Blood 5-HT content was not associated with a history of major depressive disorder or chronic tic disorder. These preliminary results suggest that studies of serotonergic functioning in OCD may need to control for family history of OCD and that blood 5-HT may be a useful biochemical measure in family-genetic studies of OCD.

Adolescent↗

Tics in childhood.

The tic disorders represent a spectrum of disability ranging from simple transient tics of childhood to severe Tourette syndrome. Diagnosis depends on an awareness of their existence, willingness to accept the child and parents' histories, and appreciation of the broad range of symptoms. Although the etiology is not clear, some cases are familial. Environmental agents, especially psychostimulant drugs, may precipitate occasional cases. Treatment with haloperidol is useful for 80% to 85% of patients but associated with troublesome side effects in one-half of those treated. The long-term prognosis for complex tic disorders is not as bad as once thought, with improvement or remission often occurring in late adolescence. Abnormalities of central nervous system dopamine metabolism may be involved in the pathophysiology of the tic disorders.

Child↗

Antibiotic prophylaxis with azithromycin or penicillin for childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorders.

BACKGROUND: The acronym PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) describes a subgroup of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or tic disorder that experience symptom exacerbations following streptococcal infections. We hypothesized that the prevention of streptococcal infections among children in the PANDAS subgroup would decrease neuropsychiatric symptom exacerbations. METHODS: Twenty-three subjects with PANDAS were enrolled in a double blind, randomized controlled trial. Antibiotic prophylaxis with penicillin or azithromycin was administered for 12 months. Rates of streptococcal infections and neuropsychiatric symptom exacerbations were compared between the study year and the baseline year prior to entry. RESULTS: Significant decreases in streptococcal infections during the study year were found with a mean of .1 (.3 SD) per subject, compared to the baseline year with 1.9 (1.2 SD) in the penicillin group and 2.4 (1.1 SD) in the azithromycin group [p<.01]. Significant decreases in neuropsychiatric exacerbations during the study year were also found with a mean of .5 (.5 SD) per subject in the penicillin group and .8 (.6 SD) in the azithromycin group, compared to the baseline year with 2.0 (.9 SD) in the penicillin group and 1.8 (.6 SD) in the azithromycin group [p<.01]. CONCLUSIONS: Penicillin and azithromycin prophylaxis were found to be effective in decreasing streptococcal infections and neuropsychiatric symptom exacerbations among children in the PANDAS subgroup.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis↗

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbidity.

Studies of children with ADHD consistently document high rates of comorbid psychiatric conditions, including conduct disorders, depression and other mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and tic disorders. In diagnosing children with ADHD, one must be careful not to dismiss other symptomatology as secondary. Poor social skills, problems with parents, low academic functioning, and other correlates of ADHD can be construed as causal factors. Although these should not be ignored, neither should the possibility that a child suffers from another psychiatric disorder that might respond to appropriate pharmacotherapy. A variety of behavior rating scales are available to the practitioner as the first steps in this process.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Post-streptococcal autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Autoimmune disease has long been intertwined with investigations of infectious causes. Antibodies that are formed against an infectious agent can, through the process of molecular mimicry, also recognize healthy cells. When this occurs, the immune system erroneously destroys the healthy cells causing autoimmune disease in addition to appropriately destroying the offending infectious agent and attenuating the infectious process. The first infectious agent shown to cause a post-infectious autoimmune disorder in the central nervous system was Streptococcus pyogenes in Sydenham's chorea. The present review summarizes the most recent published findings of central nervous system diseases that have evidence of a post-streptococcal autoimmune etiology. RECENT FINDINGS: Sydenham's chorea and other central nervous system illnesses that are hypothesized to have a post-streptococcal autoimmune etiology appear to arise from targeted dysfunction of the basal ganglia. PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune disorders associated with streptococcal infections) is the acronym applied to a subgroup of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder or tic disorders occurring in association with streptococcal infections. In addition, there are recent reports of dystonia, chorea encephalopathy, and dystonic choreoathetosis occurring as sequelae of streptococcal infection. Investigators have begun to isolate and describe antistreptococcal-antineuronal antibodies as well as possible genetic markers in patients who are susceptible to these illnesses. SUMMARY: Clinical and research findings in both immunology and neuropsychiatry have established the existence of post-streptococcal neuropsychiatric disorders and are beginning to shed light on possible pathobiologic processes.

Animals↗