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Can a subgroup of OCD patients with motor abnormalities and poor therapeutic response be identified?

RATIONALE: In a subgroup of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), motor soft signs, tics and other movement disorders can be observed, indicating a special pathogenetic involvement of basal ganglia. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to verify the hypothesis that such motor dysfunction characterises a subgroup of OCD patients with poor treatment response. For assessing even subtle motor dysfunction, a new method for kinematical analysis of hand movements has been applied. METHODS: We examined the performance of 45 in-patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for OCD before and under therapy (sertraline and behaviour therapy) using a digitising tablet and kinematical analysis of simple handwriting and drawing movements. All subjects wrote a sentence, their signature and letter sequences. Moreover, they drew circles under different conditions. Three kinematical parameters (stroke duration, variation coefficient of peak velocity, stroke length) were calculated to quantify hand-motor performance. RESULTS: Prior to therapy, non-responders wrote with significantly smaller amplitudes than responders. Additionally, non-responders drew significantly larger circles with the non-dominant hand at baseline, as compared to responders. Disturbances of handwriting were more frequent in non-responders than in responders. CONCLUSIONS: Kinematical analysis of handwriting movements seems to be interesting for the prediction of poor response to treatments in OCD patients.

Adult↗

Linking obsessional beliefs to OCD symptoms in older and younger adults.

There are many open questions about the phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the elderly, and theories about the development of OCD have rarely been applied to older populations. The current study uses structural equation models to evaluate the relationship between obsessional beliefs and OCD symptoms across young and older adult age groups in a large community sample (aged 18-93; N=335), and to examine whether subjective concerns about cognitive decline partially mediate this relationship. Results support partial mediation, and follow-up analyses suggest that the pattern of relationships among subjective cognitive concerns, obsessional beliefs and OCD symptoms is invariant for younger and older adults, but older adults report relatively greater levels of subjective cognitive concerns.

Adolescent↗

Autogenous/reactive obsessions and their relationship with OCD symptoms and schizotypal personality features.

This study was conducted to examine the autogenous-reactive model of obsessions [Behav. Res. Ther. 41 (2003) 11-29]. A large number of college students (n=932) were administered a questionnaire battery assessing obsessional intrusions, schizotypal personality features, depressive symptoms, general anxiety and OCD symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that autogenous obsessions were more strongly associated with schizotypal personality features than with OCD symptoms, general anxiety, or depression, whereas the relationship between reactive obsessions and schizotypal personality features was negligible. Moreover, autogenous obsessions were more strongly associated with covert OCD symptoms, whereas reactive obsessions were more strongly associated with overt OCD symptoms. These findings suggest that autogenous obsessions are more strongly associated with cognitive features (e.g., anomalous perception, obsessing), whereas reactive obsessions are more strongly associated with overt behavioral features (e.g., checking, washing, ordering). Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Adult↗

Phenomenological validity of an OCD-memory model and the remember/know distinction.

In earlier experiments using interactive computer animation with healthy subjects, it was found that displaying compulsive-like repeated checking behavior affects memory. That is, checking does not alter actual memory accuracy, but it does affect 'meta-memory': as checking continues, recollections are experienced as less vivid and less detailed while confidence in memory is undermined. This procedure provides a model of OCD checking and suggests that checking is a counterproductive strategy to reduce memory distrust. The present experiment was carried out to specify the phenomenological quality of memory distrust after checking and to see if repeated checking produces a shift in the memory source that is used to decide about the outcome of checking: from 'remembering' to 'knowing' (Tulving, 1985). Using the same interactive computer-animation, the earlier findings on vividness, detail and confidence were replicated. In addition, it was found that checking made participants endorse quotations from OCD patients (Reed, 1985) expressing a specific ambivalence about memory: 'It is as though the memory is there, but is isn't definite enough', 'I remember doing it in a way, but it's all fuzzy....' And 'I can remember that I've done it. But the memory isn't clear somehow'. This finding adds to the validity of the experimental model. Furthermore, after checking subjects' beliefs about the outcome of checking became based on (general) knowing instead of (specific) remembering. It is suggested that OCD checkers feel a general and relatively strong need to be certain about the veracity of recollections and that they have high standards for memory performance. This may explain earlier findings that OCD checkers have a general tendency to distrust their episodic memory. A need for certainty and a critical attitude towards memory performance may not be problematic or abnormal. It is suggested that clinical problems arise when the patient tries to fight memory distrust by repeated checking. The latter does not reduce distrust but rather increases distrust and the patient may get trapped in a spiral of mutually reinforcing checking behavior and memory distrust.

Adult↗

Olanzapine augmentation of fluvoxamine-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a 12-week open trial.

A few studies have tried antipsychotic augmentation in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients who are non-responders to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of olanzapine addition to fluvoxamine-refractory OCD patients and to assess if a comorbid chronic tic disorder or a concomitant schizotypal personality disorder was associated with response. Twenty-three OCD non-responders to a 6-month, open-label trial with fluvoxamine (300 mg/day) entered a 3-month open-label trial of augmentation with olanzapine (5 mg/day). OC symptom change was measured with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. Differences between responders and non-responders were assessed with regard to age, sex, duration of illness, baseline Y-BOCS score, and comorbidity with chronic tic disorders or schizotypal personality disorder. A significant decrease of mean Y-BOCS score between pre- and post-treatment (26. 8+/-3.0 vs. 18.9+/-5.9) was found at endpoint. Ten patients (43.5%) were rated as responders. The most common side effects were mild to moderate weight gain and sedation. In our sample, three patients (13. 04%) had a chronic motor tic disorder, and four (17.39%) had a codiagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder. Concomitant schizotypal personality disorder was the only factor significantly associated with response. It appears that augmentation of olanzapine in fluvoxamine-refractory OCD may be effective in a large number of patients, including those with comorbid schizotypal personality disorder.

Adolescent↗

Evidence for striatal modulation in the presence of fixed cortical injury in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

A patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) onset resulting from a traumatic head injury underwent longitudinal brain imaging evaluation. Structural and functional brain imaging studies were repeatedly performed before and after treatment. Computerized tomography (CT) demonstrated bilateral prefrontal contusions immediately following the trauma and prior to the onset of OCD. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated bilateral cortical abnormalities in the prefrontal and anterior-temporal regions a few months following the onset of OCD. Almost concurrently, single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) demonstrated bilateral perfusion deficits in fronto-temporal regions, and asymmetric increased perfusion in the anterior striatum. Six months later, after clinical improvement, a second SPECT study demonstrated improvement of brain perfusion, mostly in the striatum. The reflection of these results on a possible model of brain pathogenesis in OCD, and the role of brain imaging in neuropsychiatric evaluation, are demonstrated.

Adult↗

Development of the OCDS--revised: a measure of alcohol and drug urges with outpatient substance abuse clients.

Urges to use substances is an important construct in understanding the maintenance of substance use as well as relapse. There is a need to evaluate single instruments measuring global urges to use substances (including alcohol). The Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS; R. F. Anton, D. H. Moak, & P. Latham, 1995) was revised and tested as a single measure of urges to use substances. Participants were 252 adults entering outpatient substance abuse treatment. Results suggest that the revised scale (OCDS-R) primarily assesses 1 global factor for urges to use substances. In addition, strong support was found for the reliability and concurrent validity of the OCDS-R, although results for its predictive validity were mixed. The OCDS-R is a brief, psychometrically sound self-report instrument that has applicability within clinical and research settings.

Adult↗

Focus on "cognition" in cognitive behavior therapy for ocd: is it really necessary?

The past decade has witnessed a significant shift toward a more cognitive emphasis in our understanding and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). This article discusses the shortcomings in more standard behavioral treatment of OCD, which despite its demonstrated efficacy, led to the recent cognitive-behavioral approaches to the disorder. Current cognitive behavior therapy for OCD is described and a short critical review of the comparative treatment outcome literature on cognitive behavior therapy vs exposure and response prevention is provided. The article concludes that although the clinical utility of a more cognitive approach to OCD has not been consistently demonstrated, it would be premature to abandon cognitive formulations until some key research questions have been addressed.

Cognition↗

Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for children and adolescents with OCD: a review and recommendations for treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To critically review the published literature on cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents. METHOD: The psychiatric and psychological literature was systematically searched for "studies" applying cognitive-behavioral principles to children and adolescents with OCD. RESULTS: Thirty-two investigations, most of them single case reports, were identified. Despite manifold differences in terminology and theoretical framework, all but one showed some benefit for cognitive-behavioral interventions. Graded exposure and response prevention form the core of treatment; anxiety management training and OCD-specific family interventions may play an adjunctive role. Poor compliance, inadequately documented and inconsistently applied treatment, and lack of exportability were recurrent problems. CONCLUSIONS: Abundant clinical and emerging empirical evidence suggest that cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy, is an effective treatment for OCD in children and adolescents. Future research in this area will need to focus on comparisons of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy to other treatments, on component analyses, and on the application of exportable protocol-driven treatments to divergent patient populations.

Adolescent↗

Case study: a new infection-triggered, autoimmune subtype of pediatric OCD and Tourette's syndrome.

A review of clinical observations and literature reports leads to the hypothesis that, via a process analogous to Sydenham's chorea, infections with group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, among others, may trigger autoimmune responses that cause or exacerbate some cases of childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tic disorders (including Tourette's syndrome). If this hypothesis is correct, then immunological treatments should lead to decreased symptoms in some cases. Four cases with abrupt, severe onset or worsening of OCD or tics are presented from an open treatment study. All were boys aged 10 to 14 years. One had OCD, one had Tourette's syndrome, and two had both OCD and Tourette's syndrome. Clinically and on standardized rating scales, their symptoms were in the moderate to very severe range. Two had evidence of recent group A beta-hemolytic streptococci infections, and the others had histories of recent viral illnesses. Two were treated with plasmapheresis, one with intravenous immunoglobulin, and one with immunosuppressive doses of prednisone. All had a clinically significant response immediately after treatment. Diagnostic criteria are provided that describe these cases of pediatric, infection-triggered, autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (PITANDs). Suggestions are made regarding the evaluation and management of patients who may have this condition.

Adolescent↗

Long-term experience with citalopram in the treatment of adolescent OCD.

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of the study was to describe tolerability and effectiveness of citalopram in the treatment of adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: Thirty nondepressed patients (15 females, 15 males) with a mean age of 13.7 years (range 13-18 years) were treated for their OCD with citalopram in an open-label, flexible-dose study (range of dose 20-70 mg; mean dose 46.5 mg). All patients were referred to Aarhus University Hospital. The patients were monitored for 1 to 2 years. The mean total score on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (child or adult version) was 28.7 at base-line, 23.3 after 10 weeks of treatment, 20.0 after 6 months, 18.4 after 1 year, and 17.9 after 2 years (from baseline to 2 years of treatment: t = 11.65; p < .001). RESULTS: Seventy percent showed a decrease in total Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score in excess of 35% from baseline to 1 year of treatment. Twenty percent still had a score of greater than 20 after 1 year of treatment, indicating that clinically they still had OCD. Side effects were similar to those reported from the use of other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). No patient was excluded because of serious side effects during the 1 year of observation. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical effectiveness and tolerability of citalopram in the long-term treatment seem to be comparable with the observations of other SSRIs in childhood and adolescent OCD. A further, statistically significant reduction is provided by an extended treatment period of up to 1 year.

Adolescent↗

Tic or compulsion?: it's Tourettic OCD.

A subgroup of individuals suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently present to treatment with an atypical yet distinguishable array of symptoms akin to both Tourette's disorder (TD) and OCD. These individuals often receive standard treatments for OCD (or less likely, TD) that fail to address the blended features of their presentation. It is argued that these individuals would be better served, both psychotherapeutically and pharmacologically, by the adoption of a Tourettic OCD (TOCD) conceptual framework.

Adult↗

Quality of life in OCD: differential impact of obsessions, compulsions, and depression comorbidity.

OBJECTIVE: An anxiety disorder severely affects the sufferer's quality of life (QOL), and this may be particularly true of those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study examines the differential impact of obsessions, compulsions, and depression comorbidity on the QOL of individuals with OCD. METHOD: Forty-three individuals diagnosed with OCD according to DSM-IV criteria and experiencing clinically significant obsessions and compulsions completed measures of QOL, obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, and depression severity. RESULTS: Obsession severity was found to significantly predict patient QOL, whereas the severity of compulsive rituals did not impact on QOL ratings. Comorbid depression severity was the single greatest predictor of poor QOL, accounting for 54% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of these symptoms, treatments that directly target obsessions and secondary depression symptoms in OCD are warranted. However, replication of these findings in a prospective cohort study is required, because although the the current study's cross-sectional design allows for the examination of the associations among obsessions, depression, and QOL, it cannot establish their temporal framework (that is, causal relations).

Adolescent↗

Paroxetine versus clomipramine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD Paroxetine Study Investigators.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess the effect of a flexible dose of paroxetine, compared with clomipramine and placebo, in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: In a multinational randomised study, 406 subjects with OCD of at least six months duration received double-blind medication for up to 12 weeks. Doses were adjusted according to therapeutic effect and side-effects. Primary efficacy measures were the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the National Institute of Mental Health Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Secondary efficacy measures were the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, Symptom Check-List (90), Clinical Global Impression, and Patients Global Evaluation. RESULTS: Paroxetine was significantly more effective than placebo, and of comparable efficacy to clomipramine. Paroxetine had significantly superior tolerability to clomipramine on three measures: CGI efficacy index, anticholinergic adverse events, and adverse events leading to withdrawal. CONCLUSION: Paroxetine is as effective as clomipramine in the treatment of OCD. The comparable efficacy and better tolerability of paroxetine suggest that it would be an appropriate treatment for OCD.

Adolescent↗

Immune mechanisms in pediatric neuropsychiatric disorders. Tourette's syndrome, OCD, and PANDAS.

The authors have reviewed recent data supporting the presence of immune abnormalities in several neuropsychiatric disorders (TS, OCD, and PANDAS). Several groups agree that there is a subset of patients with TS and OCD (perhaps about 10%) for whom there is a clear streptococcal trigger, validating the PANDAS concept. Also, evidence of biochemical markers for TS and OCD have begun to emerge, namely D8/17 and antibrain antibodies, which suggest the presence of similar immune abnormalities, even in idiopathic cases. If this line of research reveals definable, and relatively specific, immune abnormalities in at least some cases of TS and OCD, it will likely have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of these common neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly in children who respond poorly to conventional therapies. Child psychiatrists are encouraged to stay tuned.

Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte↗

OCD: where the serotonin selectivity story begins.

Since concomitant anxiety is frequent and prominent, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is classified as an anxiety disorder. However, effective antidepressant and anxiolytic agents that are nonserotonin-selective are generally ineffective in significantly reducing OCD symptoms, while the potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor, the tricyclic clomipramine, and several serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are efficacious. These results suggest that serotonergic transmission may be important in achieving significant antiobsessive efficacy. Although no significant differences in efficacy between SRIs and SSRIs have been demonstrated in the treatment of OCD, there are important differences in side effect profiles and pharmacokinetic factors. Further research in the treatment of OCD is required on comparative efficacy of SRIs, the choice of SRI agents following initial nonresponse, and effects resulting from the long-term use of SRIs.

Antidepressive Agents↗

Further validation of the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). Relationship to alcoholism severity.

The authors administered the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), a self-rated questionnaire that quantifies some cognitive and behavioral dimensions of "craving" for alcohol, to 124 alcohol-dependent subjects in three pharmacological treatment studies. The OCDS total scores had significant correlations with both the Alcohol Dependence Scale (r = 0.42; P < 0.0001) and the alcohol subscale of the Addiction Severity Index (r = 0.44; P < 0.0001). Previous alcoholism treatment was associated with higher OCDS Total and Obsessive subscale scores. These data support the congruent validity of the OCDS with previously well established measures of alcohol dependence severity and suggest that this measurement of craving may help in formulating appropriate treatment plans for alcoholic patients.

Adult↗

Functional MRI and the study of OCD: from symptom provocation to cognitive-behavioral probes of cortico-striatal systems and the amygdala.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) first appeared in 1991. Since that time there has been a burgeoning use of the technology by psychiatric researchers and neuroscientists. Our group first used fMRI to study obessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with a symptom provocation paradigm and then moved to the use of circuitry-specific cognitive-behavioral probes. The techniques we utilized for the symptom provocation study remain valid today, but have been supplemented by a wide array of new tools. Functional MRI continues to be a rapidly developing technology which could become the gold standard for neuroimaging research in psychiatry. With this in mind, this paper focuses on the past, present, and future applications of fMRI to one model illness, namely OCD. We examine the strengths and limitations of our initial OCD symptom provocation study and then evaluate the use of fMRI with cognitive-behavioral probes of cortico-striatal circuitry and limbic (amygdala) circuitry. We conclude with a brief summary of foreseeable developments which will influence the implementation of fMRI for psychiatric neuroscience in general.

Arousal↗