Sample records for obsessive compulsive symptoms

  1. Are obsessive-compulsive symptoms impulsive, compulsive or both?

    PubMed Central

    Chamberlain, Samuel R; Leppink, Eric W.; Redden, Sarah A.; Grant, Jon E.

    2017-01-01

    Background The relationships between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and distinct forms of impulsivity and compulsivity are unclear. Such examination would be relevant in terms of how best to classify psychiatric disorders and in understanding candidate ‘latent traits’ that extend across a continuum between normalcy and clinical disorders. Method 515 young adults (aged 18-29 years) completed the Padua Inventory and undertook detailed clinical and neurocognitive assessments. Relationships between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and distinct types of impulsivity and compulsivity were evaluated using linear regression modelling. Results Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were significantly predicted by female gender, lower quality of life, psychiatric disorders in general (but not impulse control disorders), and worse extra-dimensional set-shifting. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were not significantly predicted by alcohol/nicotine consumption, stop-signal reaction times, or decision-making abilities. Conclusion These data indicate that obsessive-compulsive symptoms are more related to certain forms of compulsivity than to impulsivity. These findings have important implications for diagnostic conceptualizations and neurobiological models. PMID:27234191

  2. Influence of specific obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions on strategic planning in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Paula Sanders Pereira; Iego, Sandro; Nunes, Samantha; Menezes, Hemanny; Mastrorosa, Rosana Sávio; Oliveira, Irismar Reis de; Rosário, Maria Conceição do

    2011-03-01

    This study investigates obsessive-compulsive disorder patients in terms of strategic planning and its association with specific obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions. We evaluated 32 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. Strategic planning was assessed by the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, and the obsessive-compulsive dimensions were assessed by the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. In the statistical analyses, the level of significance was set at 5%. We employed linear regression, including age, intelligence quotient, number of comorbidities, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score, and the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale "worst-ever" score correlated significantly with the planning score on the copy portion of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (r = 0.4, p = 0.04) and was the only variable to show a significant association after linear regression (β = 0.55, t = 2.1, p = 0.04). Compulsive hoarding correlated positively with strategic planning (r = 0.44, p = 0.03). None of the remaining symptom dimensions presented any significant correlations with strategic planning. We found the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms to be associated with strategic planning. In addition, there was a significant positive association between the planning score on the copy portion of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test copy score and the hoarding dimension score on the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Our results underscore the idea that obsessive-compulsive disorder is a heterogeneous disorder and suggest that the hoarding dimension has a specific neuropsychological profile. Therefore, it is important to assess the peculiarities of each obsessive-compulsive symptom dimension.

  3. The relation between depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Results from a large, naturalistic follow-up study.

    PubMed

    Rickelt, Judith; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Lieverse, Ritsaert; Overbeek, Thea; van Balkom, Anton J; van Oppen, Patricia; van den Heuvel, Odile A; Marcelis, Machteld; Eikelenboom, Merijn; Tibi, Lee; Schruers, Koen Rj

    2016-10-01

    Despite the frequent occurrence of depressive symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), little is known about the reciprocal influence between depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the course of the disease. The aim of the present study is to investigate the longitudinal relationship between obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms in OCD patients. We used the baseline and 1-year follow-up data of the Netherlands Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Association (NOCDA) study. In 276 patients with a lifetime diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms were assessed at baseline and at one-year follow-up with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Symptom (Y-BOCS) scale. Relations were investigated using a cross-lagged panel design. The association between the severity of depressive symptoms at baseline and obsessive-compulsive symptoms at follow-up was significant (β=0.244, p<0.001), while the association between the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms at baseline and depressive symptoms at follow-up was not (β=0.097, p=0.060). Replication of the analyses in subgroups with and without current comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) and subgroups with different sequence of onset (primary versus secondary MDD) revealed the same results. There may be other factors, which affect both depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms that were not assessed in the present study. The present study demonstrates a relation between depressive symptoms and the course of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in OCD patients, irrespective of a current diagnosis of MDD and the sequence of onset of OCD and MDD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. TREATMENT OF OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SYMPTOMS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH FLUOXETINE

    PubMed Central

    Agarwal, Vivek; Agarwal, K.M.

    2000-01-01

    Obsessive compulsive symptoms have been reported to occur in high proportion in schizophrenia. Presence of obsessive compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia has poor prognostic significance. Because of the antiobsessional effect of the fluoxetine, present study was undertaken as preliminary investigation in cases of schizophrenia with obsessive compulsive symptoms. We conducted an open trial of 12 weeks duration in which fluoxetine was added up to 80 mg to the maintenance neuroleptic medication of outpatients of schizophrenia with obsessive compulsive symptoms diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria. Five patients showed a significant reduction in scores of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Clinical Global Impression Scale. Two patients did not show any response. Fluoxetine was well tolerated by all the patients. The positive findings of this preliminary investigation supports the further investigations of fluoxetine as potential treatment in the obsessive compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia. PMID:21407959

  5. Obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms among civilian survivors of war.

    PubMed

    Morina, Naser; Sulaj, Vita; Schnyder, Ulrich; Klaghofer, Richard; Müller, Julia; Martin-Sölch, Chantal; Rufer, Michael

    2016-04-27

    Several psychological sequelae have been identified in civilian war survivors. However, little is known about the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and their relationship to trauma in this population. Fifty-one adult civilian survivors of the Kosovo War (28 males) who had immigrated to Switzerland completed the Revised Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Data were analysed using multiple regression analyses. Overall, 35 and 39% of the sample scored above the cut-offs for likely obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, respectively. Participants with high levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms were significantly more likely to have obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and vice versa. In multiple regression analysis, gender and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms were predictors of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, whereas number of traumatic life event types and depressive symptoms were not. Given the small sample size, the results of this study need to be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, a surprisingly high number of participants in our study suffered from both obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms, with obsessive-compulsive symptoms tending to be more pronounced in women. It remains, therefore, critical to specifically assess both obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in civilian war survivors, and to provide persons afflicted with appropriate mental health care.

  6. Assessment of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Dimensions: Development and Evaluation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abramowitz, Jonathan S.; Deacon, Brett J.; Olatunji, Bunmi O.; Wheaton, Michael G.; Berman, Noah C.; Losardo, Diane; Timpano, Kiara R.; McGrath, Patrick B.; Riemann, Bradley C.; Adams, Thomas; Bjorgvinsson, Throstur; Storch, Eric A.; Hale, Lisa R.

    2010-01-01

    Although several measures of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms exist, most are limited in that they are not consistent with the most recent empirical findings on the nature and dimensional structure of obsessions and compulsions. In the present research, the authors developed and evaluated a measure called the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive…

  7. Symptom Dimensions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Beliefs.

    PubMed

    Cordeiro, Trinette; Sharma, Mahendra P; Thennarasu, Kandavel; Reddy, Y C Janardhan

    2015-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition with a few major symptom dimensions. These symptom dimensions are thought to have unique clinical and neurobiological correlates. There seems to be a specific relation between OCD symptom dimensions and obsessive beliefs, but the findings are not consistent across studies. There is also a paucity of literature from culturally diverse settings. One of the reasons for the varied findings could be due to the method employed in measuring OCD symptoms. In this study, we examined the relation between symptom dimensions and obsessive beliefs using the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire respectively in 75 patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition OCD. Perfectionism predicted both aggressive and symmetry dimensions whereas responsibility beliefs predicted sexual and religious dimensions. The findings suggest that certain obsessive beliefs predicted certain OCD symptom dimensions, but results are not entirely consistent with the published literature suggesting the possibility of cross-cultural variations. That the symptom dimensions have unique belief domains support the argument that symptom dimensions could be targeted to reduce the heterogeneity in etiological and treatment studies of OCD. Therapeutic interventions may have to aim at modifying unique belief domains underlying certain symptom dimensions rather than having generic cognitive-behavioral strategies.

  8. Predicting obsessions and compulsions according to superego and ego characteristics: A comparison between scrupulosity and non-religious obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Besharat, Mohammad Ali; Kamali, Zeynab Sadat

    2016-02-01

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive images or impulses and/or ritualistic and rigid behaviors. Symptoms of OCD have different contents including contamination, harming and symmetry. Religion is one of the themes that has been observed in the context of OCD frequently. The aim of the present study was to examine the power of superego and ego characteristics in predicting scrupulosity and non-religious obsessions and compulsions, as well as comparing the two sets of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Sixty six Iranian (19 men, 47 women) participated in the study. All participants were asked to complete Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity, Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory, the Multidimensional Anger Inventory, and Ego Strength Scale. Results showed that perfectionism and anger were positively correlated with scrupulosity and non-religious obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Ego control was negatively correlated with scrupulosity, while ego resiliency was not correlated with any of these two sets of symptoms. Regression analysis indicated that among these variables, anger was the best predictor of non-religious obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while perfectionism and ego control were the best predictors of scrupulosity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Obsessive-compulsive characteristics: from symptoms to syndrome.

    PubMed

    Apter, A; Fallon, T J; King, R A; Ratzoni, G; Zohar, A H; Binder, M; Weizman, A; Leckman, J F; Pauls, D L; Kron, S; Cohen, D J

    1996-07-01

    To assess the distribution and severity of obsessions and compulsions in a nonclinical adolescent population. During preinduction military screening, 861 sixteen-year-old Israelis completed a questionnaire regarding the lifetime presence of eight obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and three severity measures. The presence or absence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or subclinical OCD was ascertained by an independent interview. Although only 8.0% and 6.3% of respondents reported disturbing and intrusive thoughts, respectively, 27% to 72% of subjects endorsed the six remaining OCD symptoms. Twenty percent of subjects regarded the symptoms they endorsed as senseless and 3.5% found them disturbing; 8% reported spending more than an hour daily on symptoms. OCD and subclinical OCD cases differed significantly from non-OCD cases, but not from each other, in distress and mean number of symptoms. Although the distribution of nine of the items differed for noncases, compared with OCD and subclinical OCD cases, the distributions for all items overlapped markedly across the three groups. OC phenomena appear to be on a continuum with few symptoms and minimal severity at one end and many symptoms and severe impairment on the other. Defining optimal cutoff points for distinguishing between psychiatric disorder and OC phenomena that are common in the general population remains an open question.

  10. Relationships between thought-action fusion, thought suppression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a structural equation modeling approach.

    PubMed

    Rassin, E; Muris, P; Schmidt, H; Merckelbach, H

    2000-09-01

    Research has shown that there are strong similarities in content between the obsessions and compulsions that characterize obsessive-compulsive disorder and nonclinical obsessions and compulsions. However, clinical and nonclinical obsessions and compulsions do differ with respect to characteristics like frequency, intensity, discomfort and elicited resistance. Two separate concepts have been invoked to explain how normal obsessions and compulsions may develop into clinical phenomena. First, it is suggested that thought-action fusion (TAF) contributes to obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Second, thought suppression may intensify obsessive-compulsive symptoms due to its paradoxical effect on intrusive thoughts. Although both phenomena have been found to contribute to obsessive-compulsive symptoms, possible interactions between these two have never been investigated. The current study explored how TAF and thought suppression interact in the development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 173) completed questionnaires pertaining to TAF, thought suppression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Covariances between the scores on these questionnaires were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. Results suggest that TAF triggers thought suppression, while thought suppression, in turn, promotes obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

  11. Incompleteness as a link between obsessive-compulsive personality traits and specific symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Ecker, Willi; Kupfer, Jochen; Gönner, Sascha

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines the contribution of incompleteness/'not just right experiences' (NJREs) to an understanding of the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPTs). It investigates the association of specific OCD symptom dimensions with OCPTs, conceptualized as continuous phenomena that are also observable below the diagnostic threshold. As empirical findings and clinical observation suggest that incompleteness feelings/NJREs may play a significant affective and motivational role for certain OCD subtypes, but also for patients with accentuated OCPTs, we hypothesized that OCPTs are selectively linked with incompleteness-associated OCD symptom dimensions (ordering, checking, hoarding and counting). Moreover, we assumed that this selective relationship cannot be demonstrated any more after statistical control of incompleteness, whereas it is preserved after statistical control of anxiety, depression, pathological worry and harm avoidance. Results from a study with a large clinical sample (n = 185) partially support these hypotheses and suggest that NJREs may be an important connecting link between specific OCD symptom dimensions, in particular ordering and checking, and accentuated OCPTs. Obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPTs) are positively related to obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom dimensions (ordering, checking, hoarding and counting) hypothesized or found to be associated with incompleteness/'not just right experiences' (NJREs), but not to washing and obsessions. This positive relationship, which is strongest for ordering and checking, is eliminated when NJREs are statistically controlled. Ordering, checking and accentuated OCPTs may share NJREs as a common affective-motivational underpinning.Dysfunctional behaviour patterns of people with accentuated OCPTs or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) may be viewed as efforts to avoid or reduce subjectively intolerable NJREs

  12. The relationship between obsessive beliefs and symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Wheaton, Michael G; Abramowitz, Jonathan S; Berman, Noah C; Riemann, Bradley C; Hale, Lisa R

    2010-10-01

    Research findings on the specific relationships between beliefs and OCD symptoms have been inconsistent, yet the existing studies vary in their approach to measuring the highly heterogeneous symptoms of this disorder. The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a new measure that allows for the assessment of OCD symptom dimensions, rather than types of obsessions and compulsions per se. The present study examined the relationship between OCD symptom dimensions and dysfunctional (obsessive) beliefs believed to underlie these symptom dimensions using a large clinical sample of treatment-seeking adults with OCD. Results revealed that certain obsessive beliefs predicted certain OCD symptom dimensions in a manner consistent with cognitive-behavioral conceptual models. Specifically, contamination symptoms were predicted by responsibility/threat estimation beliefs, symmetry symptoms were predicted by perfectionism/certainty beliefs, unacceptable thoughts were predicted by importance/control of thoughts beliefs and symptoms related to being responsible for harm were predicted by responsibility/threat estimation beliefs. Implications for cognitive conceptualizations of OCD symptom dimensions are discussed. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The continuity between DSM-5 obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adolescence: an item response theory study.

    PubMed

    De Caluwé, Elien; Rettew, David C; De Clercq, Barbara

    2014-11-01

    Various studies have shown that obsessive-compulsive symptoms exist as part of not only obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but also obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Despite these shared characteristics, there is an ongoing debate on the inclusion of OCPD into the recently developed DSM-5 obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) category. The current study aims to clarify whether this inclusion can be justified from an item response theory approach. The validity of the continuity model for understanding the association between OCD and OCPD was explored in 787 Dutch community and referred adolescents (70% female, 12-20 years old, mean = 16.16, SD = 1.40) studied between July 2011 and January 2013, relying on item response theory (IRT) analyses of self-reported OCD symptoms (Youth Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Scale [YOCSS]) and OCPD traits (Personality Inventory for DSM-5 [PID-5]). The results support the continuity hypothesis, indicating that both OCD and OCPD can be represented along a single underlying spectrum. OCD, and especially the obsessive symptom domain, can be considered as the extreme end of OCPD traits. The current study empirically supports the classification of OCD and OCPD along a single dimension. This integrative perspective in OC-related pathology addresses the dimensional nature of traits and psychopathology and may improve the transparency and validity of assessment procedures. © Copyright 2014 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  14. [Neuroimaging the various symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder].

    PubMed

    Dold, Markus; Aigner, Martin

    2009-01-01

    Following consensus on fronto-striato-thalamo-frontal dysfunction as the neuronal basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and increasing sub-classification of this clinical picture, neurobiological differentiation of the various obsessive symptoms is also attracting interest in neuroimaging research. Original papers studying the neurobiological correlates of the various dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder were listed by a systematic literature search. The "washing" factor seems to involve particular brain structures dealing with emotional control (mainly the orbito-frontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala and insula), but the predominant areas in the "forbidden thoughts" factor are cognitive control brain regions (mainly basal ganglia and ACC), and in hoarding obsessions and compulsions they are decision-making areas (mainly ventro-medial parts of the OFC and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)). The results underline the neurobiological heterogeneity of the obsessive-compulsive disorder clinical picture, pointing the way for future research approaches.

  15. Symptom-specific attentional bias to threatening stimuli in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Sizino da Victoria, Mara; Nascimento, Antonio Leandro; Fontenelle, Leonardo F

    2012-08-01

    There is mixed evidence as to whether patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have excessive attentional engagement and emotional response to OCD-related stimuli in the environment. Here we investigate the occurrence of an attentional bias toward specific OCD-related stimuli and its relationship with obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions. Forty-eight patients with OCD participated in an attentional bias task containing OCD- and non-OCD-related stimuli and had their performance compared with that of 24 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy control subjects. Severity of obsessive-compulsive and comorbid depressive symptoms was assessed using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and the Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. Although there were significant and almost significant group effects on the reaction time (RT) toward OCD- and non-OCD-related figures, respectively, no difference between patients with OCD and controls was noted with regard to RT toward OCD-related figures minus RT toward non-OCD-related figures. Nevertheless, within the OCD group, partial correlational analysis controlled for age and severity of depression unveiled positive correlations between (1) obsessional symptoms and RT toward checking-related pictures and (2) ordering symptoms and RT toward ordering-related pictures. The positive correlations between RT to content-specific stimuli and the severity of corresponding obsessive-compulsive symptoms suggest that patients with OCD experience difficulty in disengaging attention from personally salient stimuli. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Change in obsessive-compulsive symptoms mediates subsequent change in depressive symptoms during exposure and response prevention.

    PubMed

    Zandberg, Laurie J; Zang, Yinyin; McLean, Carmen P; Yeh, Rebecca; Simpson, Helen Blair; Foa, Edna B

    2015-05-01

    The current study examines the temporal relationship between changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms and changes in depressive symptoms during exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants were 40 adults (53% female) who received EX/RP in a randomized controlled trial comparing serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) augmentation strategies. Participants completed clinician-administered assessments of OCD (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) and depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) every four weeks from baseline to 32-week follow-up. Lagged multilevel mediational analyses indicated that change in OCD symptoms accounted for 65% of subsequent change in depressive symptoms. In contrast, change in depressive symptoms only partially mediated subsequent change in OCD symptoms, accounting for 20% of the variance in outcome. These data indicate that reductions in co-morbid depressive symptoms during EX/RP for OCD are largely driven by reductions in obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Examination of the relations between obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions and fear and distress disorder symptoms.

    PubMed

    Raines, Amanda M; Allan, Nicholas P; Oglesby, Mary E; Short, Nicole A; Schmidt, Norman B

    2015-09-01

    Whereas prior work has established fear and distress clusters underlying unipolar mood and anxiety disorders, the optimal placement of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) within this model is unclear. One likely contributor to this ambiguity is the heterogeneous nature of OCD. There is increasing evidence for distinct symptom dimensions that are more homogenous than the broad OCD phenotype. Using structural equation modeling, the current study examined the relations between various OCD symptom dimensions and symptoms associated with fear/distress disorders. Participants included 526 individuals recruited from an online crowdsourcing marketplace. Results revealed that the symmetry obsessions/arranging compulsions, harm obsessions/checking compulsions, and unacceptable thoughts/neutralizing compulsions were related to both fear and distress disorder symptoms, whereas the contamination obsessions/washing compulsions dimension of OCD was specifically related to fear disorder symptoms. Limitations include the use of self-report questionnaires to measure all constructs of interest. These findings add to a growing body of literature attesting to the multidimensional nature of OCD and progress our understanding of the etiological underpinnings of this severe and debilitating condition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and related sex differences in brain structure: an MRI study in Dutch twins.

    PubMed

    den Braber, Anouk; de Geus, Eco J C; Boomsma, Dorret I; van 't Ent, Dennis

    2013-04-01

    Neuroimaging studies have indicated abnormalities in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, but results have not been consistent. Since there are significant sex differences in human brain anatomy and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and its developmental trajectories tend to be distinct in males and females, we investigated whether sex is a potential source of heterogeneity in neuroimaging studies on obsessive-compulsive symptoms. We selected male and female twin pairs who were concordant for scoring either high or low for obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a group of discordant pairs where one twin scored high and the co-twin scored low. The design included 24 opposite-sex twin pairs. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of 31 males scoring high for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, 41 low-scoring males, 58 high-scoring females, and 73 low-scoring females were analyzed and the interaction of obsessive-compulsive symptoms by sex on gray matter volume was assessed using voxel-based morphometry. An obsessive-compulsive symptom by sex interaction was observed for the left middle temporal gyrus, the right middle temporal gyrus, and the right precuneus. These interactions acted to reduce or hide a main effect in our study and illustrate the importance of taking sex into account when investigating the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

  19. Association between Protestant religiosity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and cognitions.

    PubMed

    Abramowitz, Jonathan S; Deacon, Brett J; Woods, Carol M; Tolin, David F

    2004-01-01

    There is evidence that religion and other cultural influences are associated with the presentation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as beliefs and assumptions presumed to underlie the development and maintenance of these symptoms. We sought to further examine the relationship between Protestant religiosity and (1) various symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (e.g., checking, washing) and (2) OCD-related cognitions. Using self-report questionnaires, we compared differences in these OCD-related phenomena between highly religious Protestants, moderately religious Protestants, and atheist/agnostic participants drawn from an undergraduate sample. Highly religious versus moderately religious Protestants reported greater obsessional symptoms, compulsive washing, and beliefs about the importance of thoughts. Additionally, the highly religious evinced more obsessional symptoms, compulsive washing, intolerance for uncertainty, need to control thoughts, beliefs about the importance of thoughts, and inflated responsibility, compared to atheists/agnostics. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between religion and OCD symptoms in the context of the cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of OCD. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  20. Dissociative absorption, mind-wandering, and attention-deficit symptoms: Associations with obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Soffer-Dudek, Nirit

    2018-06-05

    Dissociative absorption is a tendency to become absorbed in imagination or in an external stimulus (movie, book) to the point of obliviousness to one's surroundings and reduced self-awareness. It has been hypothesized to play a role in the maintenance of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. However, because absorption is a trait of reduced attentional control, a possible confound may be attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms, which have been reported to be comorbid with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study aimed to validate dissociative absorption as unique from ADHD symptoms as well as from mind-wandering and to show that it has incremental predictive value over these constructs in predicting OC symptoms. Cross-sectional. Three-hundred and three undergraduate students completed online questionnaires, which were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. As hypothesized, dissociative absorption emerged as a unique construct, separate from ADHD, and mind-wandering (whereas the latter two were not completely separate from each other). Additionally, absorption was uniquely associated with OC symptoms, with a moderate-to-strong effect size, demonstrating incremental predictive value over the other constructs. Attentional deficits and mind-wandering cannot account for the association between absorption and OC symptoms. Future research should explore whether reports of comorbidity between ADHD and OC symptoms may be inflated due to misdiagnosis of absorption tendencies as ADHD. Dissociative absorption is a personality tendency that may interact with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and thus, it may deserve clinical attention when treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Dissociative absorption might bring about an unnecessary diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and thus, it should be screened for. This study was based on a non-clinical sample; future studies

  1. Impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder symptoms in Internet users.

    PubMed

    Chamberlain, Samuel R; Redden, Sarah A; Stein, Dan J; Lochner, Christine; Grant, Jon E

    2017-08-01

    Internet use is pervasive in many cultures. Little is known about the impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) symptoms on impulsive and compulsive psychopathologies in people who use the Internet. Adult Internet users (N = 1,323) completed an online questionnaire quantifying OCPD symptoms, likely occurrence of select mental disorders (obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], problematic Internet use, generalized anxiety disorder), and personality questionnaires of impulsivity and compulsivity. Predictors of the presence of OCPD symptoms (endorsement of at least 4 of 8 DSM-5 criteria) were identified using binary logistic regression. In regression (P < .001, area under the curve, 0.77), OCPD symptoms were significantly associated with (in order of decreasing effect size) lower non-planning impulsivity, higher ADHD symptoms, problematic Internet use, avoidant personality disorder, female sex, generalized anxiety disorder, and some types of compulsions (checking, dressing/washing). These data suggest that OCPD symptoms, defined in terms of at least 4 of 8 DSM criteria being met, are common in Internet users. OCPD symptoms were associated with considerably higher levels of psychopathology relating to both impulsive (ADHD) and compulsive (OCD-related and problematic Internet use) disorders. These data merit replication and extension using standard in-person clinical assessments, because the current study relied on self-report over the Internet.

  2. Suicidality in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia: role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Szmulewicz, Alejandro G; Smith, José M; Valerio, Marina P

    2015-11-30

    Patients with schizophrenia have an increased lifetime risk of comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Up to 30% of these patients experience such symptoms and 12% may be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The presence of these symptoms in schizophrenia seems to be associated with poor outcomes including a greater suicidal risk. A subgroup of patients develops this symptomatology after the initiation with Second Generation Antipsychotics (SGA). Also, there is evidence of a causal relationship for this association, particularly for clozapine. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association of this comorbidity with suicidality in a population of clozapine-medicated schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients (N=65). The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in our sample was 29.2% (N=19) and the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder was 13.8% (N=9). Significant positive correlations between suicidality and total Y-BOCS score and between Y- BOCS score and depressive symptoms were found. Further analysis indicated that a Y-BOCS score greater or equal than 8 was an independent predictor of suicide attempt during clozapine treatment. Routine screening for this adverse event should be warranted for this population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Dissociative Experiences are Associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in a Non-clinical Sample: A Latent Profile Analysis

    PubMed Central

    BOYSAN, Murat

    2014-01-01

    Introduction There has been a burgeoning literature considering the significant associations between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative experiences. In this study, the relationsips between dissociative symtomotology and dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms were examined in homogeneous sub-groups obtained with latent class algorithm in an undergraduate Turkish sample. Method Latent profile analysis, a recently developed classification method based on latent class analysis, was applied to the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) item-response data from 2976 undergraduates. Differences in severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and depression across groups were evaluated by running multinomial logistic regression analyses. Associations between latent class probabilities and psychological variables in terms of obsessive-compulsive sub-types, anxiety, and depression were assessed by computing Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients. Results The findings of the latent profile analysis supported further evidence for discontinuity model of dissociative experiences. The analysis empirically justified the distinction among three sub-groups based on the DES items. A marked proportion of the sample (42%) was assigned to the high dissociative class. In the further analyses, all sub-types of obsessive-compulsive symptoms significantly differed across latent classes. Regarding the relationships between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative symptomatology, low dissociation appeared to be a buffering factor dealing with obsessive-compulsive symptoms; whereas high dissociation appeared to be significantly associated with high levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Conclusion It is concluded that the concept of dissociation can be best understood in a typological approach that dissociative symptomatology not only exacerbates obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also serves as an adaptive coping mechanism. PMID:28360635

  4. Dissociative Experiences are Associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in a Non-clinical Sample: A Latent Profile Analysis.

    PubMed

    Boysan, Murat

    2014-09-01

    There has been a burgeoning literature considering the significant associations between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative experiences. In this study, the relationsips between dissociative symtomotology and dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms were examined in homogeneous sub-groups obtained with latent class algorithm in an undergraduate Turkish sample. Latent profile analysis, a recently developed classification method based on latent class analysis, was applied to the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) item-response data from 2976 undergraduates. Differences in severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and depression across groups were evaluated by running multinomial logistic regression analyses. Associations between latent class probabilities and psychological variables in terms of obsessive-compulsive sub-types, anxiety, and depression were assessed by computing Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients. The findings of the latent profile analysis supported further evidence for discontinuity model of dissociative experiences. The analysis empirically justified the distinction among three sub-groups based on the DES items. A marked proportion of the sample (42%) was assigned to the high dissociative class. In the further analyses, all sub-types of obsessive-compulsive symptoms significantly differed across latent classes. Regarding the relationships between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative symptomatology, low dissociation appeared to be a buffering factor dealing with obsessive-compulsive symptoms; whereas high dissociation appeared to be significantly associated with high levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It is concluded that the concept of dissociation can be best understood in a typological approach that dissociative symptomatology not only exacerbates obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also serves as an adaptive coping mechanism.

  5. Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders

    PubMed Central

    Allen, Andrea; King, Audrey; Hollander, Eric

    2003-01-01

    The obsessive-compulsive spectrum is an important concept referring to a number of disorders drawn from several diagnostic categories that share core obsessive-compulsive features. These disorders can be grouped by the focus of their symptoms: bodily preoccupation, impulse control, or neurological disorders. Although the disorders are clearly distinct from one another, they have intriguing similarities in phenomenology, etiology, pathophysiology, patient characteristics, and treatment response. In combination with the knowledge gained through many years of research on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the concept of a spectrum has generated much fruitful research on the spectrum disorders. It has become apparent that these disorders can also be viewed as being on a continuum of compulsivity to impulsivity, characterized by harm avoidance at the compulsive end and risk seeking at the impulsive end. The compulsive and impulsive disorders differ in systematic ways that are just beginning to be understood. Here, we review these concepts and several representative obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders including both compulsive and impulsive disorders, as well as the three different symptom clusters: OCD, body dysmorphic disorder, pathological gambling, sexual compulsivity, and autism spectrum disorders. PMID:22033547

  6. Relationship between symptom dimensions and brain morphology in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Hirose, Motohisa; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Nemoto, Kiyotaka; Sutoh, Chihiro; Asano, Kenichi; Miyata, Haruko; Matsumoto, Junko; Nakazato, Michiko; Matsumoto, Koji; Masuda, Yoshitada; Iyo, Masaomi; Shimizu, Eiji; Nakagawa, Akiko

    2017-10-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is known as a clinically heterogeneous disorder characterized by symptom dimensions. Although substantial numbers of neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the presence of brain abnormalities in OCD, their results are controversial. The clinical heterogeneity of OCD could be one of the reasons for this. It has been hypothesized that certain brain regions contributed to the respective obsessive-compulsive dimensions. In this study, we investigated the relationship between symptom dimensions of OCD and brain morphology using voxel-based morphometry to discover the specific regions showing alterations in the respective dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The severities of symptom dimensions in thirty-three patients with OCD were assessed using Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R). Along with numerous MRI studies pointing out brain abnormalities in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, a previous study reported a positive correlation between ASD traits and regional gray matter volume in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala in OCD patients. We investigated the correlation between gray and white matter volumes at the whole brain level and each symptom dimension score, treating all remaining dimension scores, age, gender, and ASD traits as confounding covariates. Our results revealed a significant negative correlation between washing symptom dimension score and gray matter volume in the right thalamus and a significant negative correlation between hoarding symptom dimension score and white matter volume in the left angular gyrus. Although our result was preliminary, our findings indicated that there were specific brain regions in gray and white matter that contributed to symptom dimensions in OCD patients.

  7. OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA: A NEW IDEA OR AN OLD BELIEF?

    PubMed Central

    Jaydeokar, Sujeet; Gore, Yogita; Diwan, Pradnya; Deshpande, Prasad; Desai, Neena

    1997-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms during the course of schizophrenia have been reported, yet the incidence and significance of this finding is still unclear. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of OC symptoms among chronic schizophrenic patients and to systematically identify them. 101 patients satisfying DSM-IV diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia were assessed for OC symptoms. All patients were also rated on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for the severity of their symptoms. The study revealed that 26.7% of the chronic schizophrenic patients had significant OC symptoms with a high prevalence in the age group below 35 years. OC symptoms were more severe in patients with duration of illness more than 5 years. The OC symptoms were more prevalent among paranoid schizophrenics with the frequent obsessions being that of contamination, sexual and aggressive thoughts and frequent compulsion was need to ask or confess. PMID:21584101

  8. Interpretation of Ambiguity in Individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

    PubMed Central

    Kuckertz, Jennie M.; Amir, Nader; Tobin, Anastacia C.; Najmi, Sadia

    2013-01-01

    In two experiments we examined the psychometric properties of a new measure of interpretation bias in individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCs). In Experiment 1, 38 individuals high in OC symptoms, 34 individuals high in anxiety and dysphoric symptoms, and 31 asymptomatic individuals completed the measure. Results revealed that the Word Sentence Association Test for OCD (WSAO) can differentiate those with OC symptoms from both a matched anxious/dysphoric group and a non-anxious/non-dysphoric group. In a second experiment, we tested the predictive validity of the WSAO using a performance-based behavioral approach test of contamination fears, and found that the WSAO was a better predictor of avoidance than an established measure of OC washing symptoms (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised, washing subscale). Our results provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the WSAO as well as its usefulness in predicting response to behavioral challenge above and beyond OC symptoms, depression, and anxiety. PMID:24179287

  9. Obsessive-compulsive aspects of craving: development of the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale.

    PubMed

    Anton, R F

    2000-08-01

    "Craving" for alcohol needs improved definition and measurement. This review provides a rationale for considering at least certain aspects of craving as having obsessive and compulsive features. As such, there may be phenomenological, but not necessarily etiological, overlap with obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are increasing data that suggest a neuroanatomical overlap between addiction/craving and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The self-rated Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), based on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for heavy drinking interview (YBOCS-hd), was developed to assist in the examination of certain aspects of "craving" in alcoholics. The development, reliability, face validity, congruent validity and predictive validity of the OCDS are presented and discussed in this paper. The utility of the OCDS as a measurement tool in cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological alcoholism treatment research is highlighted. The potential of this instrument as a research and clinical tool for the understanding and evaluation of alcohol dependence needs further evaluation.

  10. Automatic Avoidance Tendencies in Individuals with Contamination-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

    PubMed Central

    Najmi, Sadia; Kuckertz, Jennie M.; Amir, Nader

    2010-01-01

    We used an Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) to examine response to threatening stimuli in 20 individuals high in contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (HCs) and 21 individuals low in contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (LCs). Participants were instructed to respond to contamination-related and neutral pictures by pulling a joystick towards themselves or by pushing it away from themselves. Moving the joystick changed the size of the image to simulate approaching or distancing oneself from the object. Consistent with our hypothesis, the HC group was significantly slower in pulling contamination-related pictures than in pulling neutral pictures, whereas in the LC group there was no difference between speed of pulling contamination-related pictures and neutral pictures. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find support for faster pushing away of contamination-related pictures than neutral pictures by the HC group. Moreover, the degree of avoidance of contamination-related stimuli when pulling – but not when pushing – was significantly correlated with self-reported contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. These results suggest a biased behavioral response for threatening objects in individuals high in contamination fears only when inhibiting the prepotent response to avoid threatening stimuli and not when performing a practiced avoidance response. Thus, our results validate the use of the AAT as a measure of inhibited and uninhibited automatic avoidance reactions to emotional information in individuals with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. PMID:20650448

  11. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Traits in Youth with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Park, Jennifer M; Storch, Eric A; Pinto, Anthony; Lewin, Adam B

    2016-04-01

    While interest in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive compulsive personality disorder has increased, there are currently no studies that have examined the presence of obsessive compulsive personality traits (OCPTs) in youth. The current study sought to determine the latent factors and psychometric properties of a modified version of the Childhood Retrospective Perfectionism Questionnaire (CHIRP) and examine the correlates of specific OCPTs (e.g., rigidity, perfectionism) in youth with OCD. Participants included 96 treatment-seeking youth diagnosed with primary OCD (and a parent). Parents and youth completed measures of OCPTs, OCD severity, depression, and disability. A confirmatory factor analysis of the modified CHIRP resulted in a two-factor model: perfectionism and preoccupation with details. The CHIRP and its subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and preliminary evidence for convergent and divergent validity. Obsessive compulsive traits in youth were also found to be associated with the checking, symmetry and contamination symptom dimensions.

  12. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. [Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strock, Margaret

    This booklet provides an overview of the causes, symptoms, and incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addresses the key features of OCD, including obsessions, compulsions, realizations of senselessness, resistance, and shame and secrecy. Research findings into the causes of OCD are reviewed which indicate that the brains of…

  13. The 5-year course of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and obsessive-compulsive disorder in first-episode schizophrenia and related disorders.

    PubMed

    de Haan, Lieuwe; Sterk, Bouke; Wouters, Luuk; Linszen, Don H

    2013-01-01

    To determine the course of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in first-episode schizophrenia and related disorders and their relationship with clinical characteristics. Consecutively, admitted patients with a first-episode of schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or schizoaffective disorder were screened for OCS, and these were measured with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale were used to assess severity of other symptoms. The course of 3- and 5-year symptoms, psychotic relapse, substance use, remission, full recovery, suicide, and social functioning were assessed. One hundred and eighty-six consecutively admitted and consenting patients were included. Five years after admission, OCS could be assessed in 172 patients. Ninety-one patients (48.9%) reported no OCS symptoms on any of the assessments. OCS restricted to the first assessments occured in 15.1%, 13.4% had persistent OCS, 7.0% had no OCS at first assessment but developed OCS subsequently, and 15.6% had intermittent OCS. The proportion of patients with comorbid OCD varied between 7.3% and 11.8% during follow-up. OCD was associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer premorbid functioning and social functioning at follow-up. The 5-year course of OCS/OCD in patients with first-episode schizophrenia or related disorders is variable. OCS/OCD comorbidity was not associated with a more severe course of psychotic symptoms and relapse. Comorbid OCD was associated with more severe depressive symptoms, social dysfunction and worse premorbid functioning. Specific treatment options for schizophrenia patients with comorbid OCD are needed.

  14. Nonverbal memory and organizational dysfunctions are related with distinct symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Jang, Joon Hwan; Kim, Hee Sun; Ha, Tae Hyon; Shin, Na Young; Kang, Do-Hyung; Choi, Jung-Seok; Ha, Kyooseob; Kwon, Jun Soo

    2010-12-30

    Recent acceptance that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) represents a heterogeneous phenomenon has underscored the need for dimensional approaches to this disorder. However little is known about the relation between neuropsychological functions and symptom dimensions. The purpose of this study was to identify the cognitive deficits correlated with specific symptom dimensions. Thirteen categories in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale symptom checklist from 144 patients with OCD were analyzed by principal component analysis. Correlations between identified symptom dimensions and neuropsychological functioning, measured by the Boston Qualitative Scoring System, were analyzed. Five factors or dimensions were identified: contamination/cleaning, hoarding, symmetry/ordering, obsessions/checking, and repeating/counting. Dysfunctions in nonverbal memory and organizational strategies were related to the symmetry/ordering dimension and the obsessions/checking dimension, respectively. The results of the present study support a transculturally stable symptom structure for OCD. They also suggest the possibility that nonverbal memory dysfunction and organizational impairment are mediated by distinct obsessive-compulsive dimensions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Obsessive compulsive symptoms are associated with better functioning independently of cognition in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Kontis, Dimitrios; Theochari, Eirini; Nikolakopoulou, Mary; Andreopoulou, Angeliki; Vassos, Dimitrios; Grigoriou, Vasileios; Vassilouli, Spyridoula; Giannakopoulou, Dimitra; Kouloumbi, Maria; Tsaltas, Eleftheria

    2016-10-01

    Although the relationship of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) with both cognition and social functioning (SF) has already been the focus of research in schizophrenia, the moderation of the relationship of OCSs with SF by cognition has not been explored to date. We investigated the association of OCSs with SF and its interaction with cognition in schizophrenia. We recruited 110 schizophrenia patients and assessed OCSs (Yale-Brown Scale), schizophrenia symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale), SF (Strauss-Carpenter Scale) and cognition. 51 patients had one obsessive-compulsive symptom or more, whereas 59 patients had no obsessive compulsive-symptom, according to the Yale-Brown Scale. We mainly investigated: a) the predictive effect of OCSs on SF, controlling for cognition, illness duration and symptoms' severity and b) the moderating effect of cognition on the OCSs-SF relationship. The mean score of OCSs for patients having at least one symptom was 13.43 (SD=8.32). Higher OCSs predicted increased SF (B=0.98, t=2.41, df=88, p=0.018). This relationship was driven by the association of compulsions with job functioning (B=0.074, t=2.029, df=88, p=0.046). Patients without OCSs demonstrated worse functioning compared with those having at least one obsessive-compulsive symptom (mean difference=2.496, t=3.732, df=88, p<0.001). We failed to find evidence that cognition moderates the effect of OCSs on SF. There may be a beneficial effect of OCSs on SF in patients with schizophrenia which is independent of their cognitive performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Thought-action fusion as a mediator of religiosity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Williams, Alishia D; Lau, Gloria; Grisham, Jessica R

    2013-06-01

    Thought-action fusion (TAF), or maladaptive cognitions regarding the relationship between mental events and behaviours, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As some religions promote TAF-like appraisals, it has been proposed that religiosity may play a role in the transformation of normally occurring intrusive thoughts into clinically distressing obsessions. No research, however, has experimentally investigated the mediating role of TAF on the relationship between religiosity and OC symptoms. 85 Christian, Jewish, and Atheist/Agnostic participants were exposed to an experimental thought-induction protocol and reported on their associated levels of distress, guilt, feelings of responsibility, and urge to suppress target intrusions experienced during a 5-min monitoring period. Participants also completed measures of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, TAF beliefs, and general psychopathology. Using PROCESS and bootstrapping analyses, a test of the conditional indirect effects of religiosity on obsessive-compulsive symptoms revealed that Christianity moderated the effects of religiosity on moral TAF beliefs, which in turn mediated the relationship between religiosity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Furthermore, in the Christian group, moral TAF beliefs mediated the relationship between religiosity and ratings of guilt and responsibility following the experimental protocol. The use of university students with moderate levels of religiosity. Collectively the results suggest that obsessional thinking is not attributable to religion per se, but that teachings underlying certain religious doctrines may fuel TAF beliefs that are implicated in the maintenance of OCD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The 5-Year Course of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in First-Episode Schizophrenia and Related Disorders

    PubMed Central

    de Haan, Lieuwe; Sterk, Bouke; Wouters, Luuk; Linszen, Don H.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To determine the course of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in first-episode schizophrenia and related disorders and their relationship with clinical characteristics. Methods: Consecutively, admitted patients with a first-episode of schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or schizoaffective disorder were screened for OCS, and these were measured with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale were used to assess severity of other symptoms. The course of 3- and 5-year symptoms, psychotic relapse, substance use, remission, full recovery, suicide, and social functioning were assessed. Results: One hundred and eighty-six consecutively admitted and consenting patients were included. Five years after admission, OCS could be assessed in 172 patients. Ninety-one patients (48.9%) reported no OCS symptoms on any of the assessments. OCS restricted to the first assessments occured in 15.1%, 13.4% had persistent OCS, 7.0% had no OCS at first assessment but developed OCS subsequently, and 15.6% had intermittent OCS. The proportion of patients with comorbid OCD varied between 7.3% and 11.8% during follow-up. OCD was associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer premorbid functioning and social functioning at follow-up. Conclusions: The 5-year course of OCS/OCD in patients with first-episode schizophrenia or related disorders is variable. OCS/OCD comorbidity was not associated with a more severe course of psychotic symptoms and relapse. Comorbid OCD was associated with more severe depressive symptoms, social dysfunction and worse premorbid functioning. Specific treatment options for schizophrenia patients with comorbid OCD are needed. PMID:21799212

  18. Awareness of illness and insight into obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Poyurovsky, Michael; Faragian, Sarit; Kleinman-Balush, Vered; Pashinian, Artashez; Kurs, Rena; Fuchs, Camil

    2007-09-01

    Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) have been revealed in a substantial proportion of schizophrenia patients. We sought to evaluate insight into OCS in schizo-obsessive patients. We evaluated insight into OCS and awareness of schizophrenia, using the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS) and the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), respectively. Fifty-seven inpatients that met DSM-IV criteria for both schizophrenia and OCD were recruited. To determine a possible modifying effect of OCS on the awareness of schizophrenia, we included a comparison group of non-OCD schizophrenia patients (N = 80). Nine (15.8%) schizo-obsessive patients revealed lack of insight into OCS, whereas a majority (48 patients, 84.2%) exhibited good or fair insight. In the schizo-obsessive group, insight into OCS positively correlated with awareness of schizophrenia but not with awareness of delusions. Roughly 40% of the schizo-obsessive and non-OCD schizophrenia patients revealed unawareness of schizophrenia. Our findings indicate that OCS in schizophrenia represent an identifiable dimension of psychopathology independent of core schizophrenia symptoms.

  19. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Late Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calamari, John E.; Pontarelli, Noelle K.; Armstrong, Kerrie M.; Salstrom, Seoka A.

    2012-01-01

    Although obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has received increasing attention, the study and treatment of OCD in late life has been neglected. The obsessions and compulsions seen with older adults do not appear to differ from the symptoms experienced by other age groups, although developmental issues might influence symptom focus (e.g., memory…

  20. Predictive value of obsessive compulsive symptoms involving the skin on quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris.

    PubMed

    Bez, Yasin; Yesilova, Yavuz; Arı, Mustafa; Kaya, Mehmet Cemal; Alpak, Gokay; Bulut, Mahmut

    2013-11-01

    Acne is one of the most common dermatological diseases, and obsessive compulsive disorder is among the most frequent psychiatric conditions seen in dermatology clinics. Comorbidity of these conditions may therefore be expected. The aim of this study was to measure obsessive compulsive symptoms and quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris, compare them with those of healthy control subjects, and determine whether there is any predictive value of obsessive compulsive symptoms for quality of life in patients with acne. Obsessive compulsive symptoms and quality of life measurements of 146 patients with acne vulgaris and 94 healthy control subjects were made using the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Questionnaire and Short Form-36 in a cross-sectional design. Patients with acne vulgaris had lower scores for physical functioning, physical role dysfunction, general health perception, vitality, and emotional role dysfunction. They also had higher scores for checking, slowness, and rumination. The only predictor of physical functioning and vitality dimensions of health-related quality of life in these patients was rumination score. Obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients with acne vulgaris are higher than in controls, and this may correlate with both disease severity and quality of life for patients.

  1. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms among alcoholics in outpatient treatment: Prevalence, severity and correlates.

    PubMed

    Campos, Luana Moraes; Yoshimi, Nicoli Tamie; Simão, Maria Odete; Torresan, Ricardo Cezar; Torres, Albina Rodrigues

    2015-09-30

    The literature on symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in alcoholic patients is scarce and such symptoms can go unnoticed, worsening the prognosis of alcoholism. The objectives were to estimate the prevalence and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in alcoholics undergoing outpatient treatment and to assess sociodemographic and clinical correlates, including suicidal behaviors. The instruments used in this cross-sectional study were the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised (OCI-R), the Short Alcohol Dependence Data and the Beck Depression Inventory. After descriptive analyses, bivariate analyses between the categorical ("probable OCD": OCI-R≥27) and dimensional (OCI-R total and subscales scores) outcomes and all explanatory variables were conducted. Eleven (20.4%) of the 54 alcoholic patients (37 men and 17 women) presented "probable OCD", which was associated with lower income, more severe dependence, depression, lifetime suicidal thoughts and plans and suicide attempts. OCI-R severity (mean 16.0) was associated with the same predictors and with psychiatric hospitalization. Suicidal behaviors were mainly associated with the Obsession, Hoarding and Washing subscales. It is essential to investigate and treat OCD symptoms in alcoholics, as they are associated with greater severity of dependence, depression and suicidal behaviors. Longitudinal studies are required to assess the impact of OCD treatment on the clinical course of alcoholism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Relationships that compulsive buying has with addiction, obsessive-compulsiveness, hoarding, and depression.

    PubMed

    Lawrence, Lee Matthew; Ciorciari, Joseph; Kyrios, Michael

    2014-07-01

    Compulsive buying has been associated with addiction, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as hoarding. The present study investigated the relationship that compulsive buying (CB) has with 'addictive' (i.e., sensitivity to reward), obsessive-compulsive, and depressive phenomena, after controlling for hoarding, substance dependence, manic, and Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms. 87 participants from a community population completed the online questionnaires for the study, however 70 participants (M=29.19, SD=10.45; 70% were female) were used in the analyses because of exclusion criteria. As expected, CB measures correlated with hoarding, depression, sensitivity to reward, and, but less so, obsessive-compulsive measures. Sensitivity to reward was the most important predictor of CB severity, compared to obsessive-compulsive and depression symptoms. Hoarding was also an important predictor of CB severity. Small sample size meant gender comparisons could not be made, and the use of a novel, communicated questionnaire meant that interpretation should be considered conservatively. Overall, findings suggest that CB may be most closely related to the phenomena associated with addiction (an increased sensitivity to reward), rather than obsessive-compulsive or depression symptoms. Hoarding and reward sensitivity perhaps might separate compulsive buying from ordinary and recreational shopping. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Neuropsychological Functioning in Obsessive-Compulsive Washers: Drug-Naive Without Depressive Symptoms.

    PubMed

    Saremi, Ali Akbar; Shariat, Seyed Vahid; Nazari, Mohammad Ali; Dolatshahi, Behrooz

    2017-01-01

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex and heterogeneous neuropsychiatric syndrome. Contamination obsessions and washing/cleaning compulsions are the most frequent clinical OCD subtypes. The current study aimed at examining the neuropsychological impairments in drug-naive obsessive-compulsive (OC) washers without depressive symptoms and their association with the severity of symptoms. In the current causal-comparative study, 35 patients with diagnostic and statistical mental disorders class (DSM)-IV diagnosed with washing-subtype OCD and 35 healthy subjects were selected by the convenience sampling method and evaluated by computerized neuropsychology battery and clinical tests as Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Go/No-Go Test, Digits Forward (DF), Digits Backward (DB), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28. The patients were matched to the comparison group with regard to age, gender, intelligence quotient (IQ), education, and handedness. All the tests were standardized in Iran. SPSS version 20.00 was used for descriptive and analytical data analysis. There was no statistically significant different between the OCD washing and the control groups regarding socio-demographic variables or IQ. There were significant differences between the OC washer and the healthy control groups on the neuropsychological functioning. The obtained results suggested that OC washers performed significantly worse on neuropsychological measures than the controls. There was no significant association between the severity of OC symptoms and the neuropsychological functions in the OCD washing group. It was concluded that executive function impairment, which is a core feature in OC washers was trait-like in nature.

  4. Symptom Dimensions in Two Samples of Africans Americans with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Williams, M. T.; Elstein, J.; Buckner, E.; Abelson, J.; Himle, J.

    2012-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, however, there is a lack of research that includes African Americans, thus it is unclear whether findings about symptom dimensions can be generalized to this population. A sample of adult African Americans with OCD (N=74) was recruited at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and administered the Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive checklist (YBOCS) to better understand the phenomenology of OCD in African Americans. Frequencies of symptoms are reported and compared to findings from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL; N=54). A principal components analysis of YBOCS categories and items was performed on the Penn sample. A six-component solution was found, that included Contamination & Washing, Hoarding, Sexual Obsessions & Reassurance, Aggression & Mental Compulsions, Symmetry & Perfectionism, and Doubt & Checking, explaining 59.1% of the variance. Factors identified were similar to those of previous studies in primarily white samples. African Americans with OCD reported more contamination symptoms and were twice as likely to report excessive concerns with animals as European Americans with OCD. The results indicate the presence of cultural differences, which is consistent with findings among non-clinical samples. Implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:22708117

  5. Comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: Does it imply a specific subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

    PubMed

    Garyfallos, George; Katsigiannopoulos, Konstantinos; Adamopoulou, Aravela; Papazisis, Georgios; Karastergiou, Anastasia; Bozikas, Vasilios P

    2010-05-15

    The present study examined whether the comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) constitute a specific subtype of OCD. The study sample consisted of 146 consecutive outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD. Diagnoses were established using MINI, IPDE, YBOCS and YBOCS-SC. OCD patients with comorbid OCPD were compared with OCD patients without OCPD on various sociodemographic and clinical variables. Almost one third of the OCD subjects met criteria for comorbid OCPD. OCD+OCPD patients had a significantly earlier age at onset of initial OC symptoms, earlier age at onset of OCD and more obsessions and compulsions than pure obsessions compared to the patients with OCDOCPD. OCD+OCPD patients also had a higher rate of comorbidity with avoidant personality disorder and showed more impairment in global functioning. There were not differences between the two sub-groups on severity of OCD symptoms and also on type of OCD onset. Our results indicate that the comorbidity of OCD with OCPD is associated with a number of specific clinical characteristics of OCD. These findings in conjunction with of current clinical, family and genetic studies provide some initial evidence that OCD comorbid with OCPD constitute a specific subtype of OCD. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Why did the white bear return? Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and attributions for unsuccessful thought suppression

    PubMed Central

    Magee, Joshua C.; Teachman, Bethany A.

    2007-01-01

    The current study examined the nature and consequences of attributions about unsuccessful thought suppression. Undergraduate students with either high (N=67) or low (N=59) levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms rated attributions to explain their unsuccessful thought suppression attempts. We expected that self-blaming attributions and attributions ascribing importance to unwanted thoughts would predict more distress and greater recurrence of thoughts during time spent monitoring or suppressing unwanted thoughts. Further, we expected that these attributions would mediate the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom levels and the negative thought suppression outcomes (distress and thought recurrence). Structural equation models largely confirmed the hypotheses, suggesting that attributions may be an important factor in explaining the consequences of thought suppression. Implications are discussed for cognitive theories of obsessive-compulsive disorder and thought suppression. PMID:17825786

  7. Degree connectivity in body dysmorphic disorder and relationships with obsessive and compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Beucke, Jan C; Sepulcre, Jorge; Buhlmann, Ulrike; Kathmann, Norbert; Moody, Teena; Feusner, Jamie D

    2016-10-01

    Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are categorized within the same major diagnostic group and both show regional brain hyperactivity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the basal ganglia during symptom provocation. While recent studies revealed that degree connectivity of these areas is abnormally high in OCD and positively correlates with symptom severity, no study has investigated degree connectivity in BDD. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the local and distant degree of functional connectivity in all brain areas between 28 unmedicated BDD participants and 28 demographically matched healthy controls during a face-processing task. Correlational analyses tested for associations between degree connectivity and symptom severity assessed by the BDD version of the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (BDD-Y-BOCS). Reduced local amygdalar connectivity was found in participants with BDD. No differences in distant connectivity were found. BDD-Y-BOCS scores significantly correlated with the local connectivity of the posterior-lateral OFC, and distant connectivity of the posterior-lateral and post-central OFC, respectively. These findings represent preliminary evidence that individuals with BDD exhibit brain-behavioral associations related to obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are highly similar to correlations previously found in OCD, further underscoring their related pathophysiology. This relationship could be further elucidated through investigation of resting-state functional connectivity in BDD, ideally in direct comparison with OCD and other obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

  8. Orthorexia nervosa: relationship with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, disordered eating patterns and body uneasiness among Italian university students.

    PubMed

    Brytek-Matera, Anna; Fonte, Maria Luisa; Poggiogalle, Eleonora; Donini, Lorenzo Maria; Cena, Hellas

    2017-12-01

    The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between ORTO-15 score and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, disordered eating patterns and body uneasiness among female and male university students and to examine the predictive model of ORTO-15 in both groups. One hundred and twenty students participated in the present study (mean age 22.74 years, SD 7.31). The ORTO-15 test, the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test-26 and the Body Uneasiness Test were used for the present study. Our results revealed no gender differences in ORTO-15 score. Our results show, rather unexpectedly, that in female students lower scores, corresponding to greater severity, were related to less pathological body image discomfort and obsessive-compulsive signs, while in male students, lower ORTO-15 scores were related to less pathological eating patterns, as behaviors and symptoms. Further studies regarding the relationship between ON and anorexia nervosa, as well as obsessive-compulsive symptoms, are needed to better understand the causality. Level of Evidence Level V, descriptive study.

  9. Prevalence and clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive compulsive symptoms in Afrikaner schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients.

    PubMed

    Seedat, F; Roos, J L; Pretorius, H W; Karayiorgou, M; Nel, B

    2007-11-01

    There is evidence of variation in the prevalence of co-morbid obsessive-compulsive disorder in schizophrenia amongst ethnic groups. This study evaluated the lifetime prevalence and clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)/ obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in Afrikaner schizophrenic and schizoaffective disorder patients. An ongoing genetic study of schizophrenia is currently being conducted on the Afrikaner founder population. In this cohort of 400 subjects from the original genetic study, we identified 53 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and co-morbid OCD/OCS (study group). They were matched for gender and age of onset of illness with 59 subjects who do not have OCD/OCS (control group). The diagnostic instrument used in this cohort is the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) version 2, which has been translated into Afrikaans. In addition to the DIGS, information for the relevant clinical characteristics reported in this study was also drawn from a detailed narrative chronological summary report and clinical files. A checklist was completed. The prevalence of co-morbid OCD/OCS amongst 400 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was 13.2% [n=53] of which 40 were male and 13 female patients. The prevalence of OCD was 10.7% and OCS was 2.5%. Contamination obsessions [n=17] were the most common type of obsession reported, followed by religious obsessions [n=8]. The most prevalent compulsions were repetitive rituals [n=32] followed by checking behaviour [n=22]. Onset of psychotic symptoms was found to be insidious in 86.8% of the study group compared to 24.6% of the control group (p<0.0001). Second-generation antipsychotic use was found to be statistically more prevalent in the study group (77.4%), compared to the control group (45.8%) (p=0.0008). 73% of the study group experienced depressive symptoms compared to 50.8% of the control group. Both groups were found to have a similar incidence of

  10. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in clozapine-treated schizophrenic patients.

    PubMed

    Ertugrul, Aygun; Anil Yagcioglu, A Elif; Eni, Nurhayat; Yazici, Kâzim M

    2005-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in schizophrenic patients treated with clozapine, and to examine the relationship between OCS and other clinical variables. The results support earlier findings which suggest that clozapine produces or unmasks OCS. In addition, the severity of OCS was not related to other dimensions of psychopathology, severity of illness, clinical improvement or dose and duration of clozapine treatment.

  11. General and Maladaptive Personality Dimensions in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aelterman, Nathalie; De Clercq, Barbara; De Bolle, Marleen; De Fruyt, Filip

    2011-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and impairing clinical disorder in childhood, often characterized by a heterogeneous symptomatic profile and high co-occurrence with other disorders. The present study introduces a new perspective on the description of OCD symptoms in youth, and empirically examines the value of a personality…

  12. Understanding the covariation of tics, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: A population-based adult twin study.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Rebecca; Monzani, Benedetta; Leckman, James F; Rück, Christian; Serlachius, Eva; Lichtenstein, Paul; Mataix-Cols, David

    2016-10-01

    Chronic tic disorders (TD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently co-occur in clinical and epidemiological samples. Family studies have found evidence of shared familial transmission between TD and OCD, whereas the familial association between these disorders and ADHD is less clear. This study aimed to investigate to what extent liability of tics, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms is caused by shared or distinct genetic or environmental influences, in a large population-representative sample of Swedish adult twins (n = 21,911). Tics, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms showed modest, but significant covariation. Model fitting suggested a latent liability factor underlying the three phenotypes. This common factor was relatively heritable, and explained significantly less of the variance of attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptom liability. The majority of genetic variance was specific rather than shared. The greatest proportion of total variance in liability of tics, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms was attributed to specific non-shared environmental influences. Our findings suggest that the co-occurrence of tics and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and to a lesser extent attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms, can be partly explained by shared etiological influences. However, these phenotypes do not appear to be alternative expressions of the same underlying genetic liability. Further research examining sub-dimensions of these phenotypes may serve to further clarify the association between these disorders and identify more genetically homogenous symptom subtypes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Examination of a Bifactor Model of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Dimensions.

    PubMed

    Olatunji, Bunmi O; Ebesutani, Chad; Abramowitz, Jonathan S

    2017-01-01

    Although obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms are observed along four dimensions (contamination, responsibility for harm, order/symmetry, and unacceptable thoughts), the structure of the dimensions remains unclear. The current study evaluated a bifactor model of OC symptoms among those with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The goals were (a) to evaluate if OC symptoms should be conceptualized as unidimensional or whether distinct dimensions should be interpreted and (b) to use structural equation modeling to examine the convergence of the OC dimensions above and beyond a general dimension with related criteria. Results revealed that a bifactor model fit the data well and that OC symptoms were influenced by a general dimension and by four dimensions. Measurement invariance of the bifactor model was also supported among those with and without OCD. However, the general OC dimension accounted for only half of the variability in OC symptoms, with the remaining variability accounted for by distinct dimensions. Despite evidence of multidimensionality, the dimensions were unreliable after covarying for the general OC dimension. However, the four dimensions did significantly converge with a latent OC spectrum factor above and beyond the general OC dimension. The implications of these findings for conceptualizing the structure of OCD are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

  14. Evidence for a genetic overlap between body dysmorphic concerns and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in an adult female community twin sample.

    PubMed

    Monzani, Benedetta; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Iervolino, Alessandra C; Anson, Martin; Cherkas, Lynn; Mataix-Cols, David

    2012-06-01

    Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is thought to be etiologically related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but the available evidence is incomplete. The current study examined the genetic and environmental sources of covariance between body dysmorphic and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a community sample of adult twins. A total of 2,148 female twins (1,074 pairs) completed valid and reliable measures of body dysmorphic concerns and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The data were analyzed using bivariate twin modeling methods and the statistical programme Mx. In the best-fitting model, the covariation between body dysmorphic and obsessive-compulsive traits was largely accounted for by genetic influences common to both phenotypes (64%; 95% CI: 0.50-0.80). This genetic overlap was even higher when specific obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions were considered, with up to 82% of the phenotypic correlation between the obsessing and symmetry/ordering symptom dimensions and dysmorphic concerns being attributable to common genetic factors. Unique environmental factors, although influencing these traits individually, did not substantially contribute to their covariation. The results remained unchanged when excluding individuals reporting an objective medical condition/injury accounting for their concern in physical appearance. The association between body dysmorphic concerns and obsessive-compulsive symptoms is largely explained by shared genetic factors. Environmental risk factors were largely unique to each phenotype. These results support current recommendations to group BDD together with OCD in the same DSM-5 chapter, although comparison with other phenotypes such as somatoform disorders and social phobia is needed. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Symptom Dimensions, Smoking and Impulsiveness in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Tan, Oguz; Taş, Cumhur

    2015-12-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has distinct symptom dimensions with possibly subtle differences in the underlying neurobiology. One behavioral habit, smoking, has been widely investigated in psychiatric disorders, though received less attention in OCD. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between symptom dimensions and smoking behavior in OCD. OCD patients (n=167) with the symptom dimensions of washing, taboo thoughts and symmetry-counting-repeating-ordering (S+C+R+O) were questioned in terms of smoking status and assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Items (HDRS-17), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS 11). Smoking status differed significantly among patients with distinct symptom dimensions (p=0.009).The ratio of smokers was the lowest in those with the washing (30%, N=12) and the highest in the S+C+R+O (68.2%, N=15) group. Those with taboo thoughts had a smoking ratio of 37.14% (N=39). In post hoc analysis, smoking ratio was significantly higher in the S+C+R+O group than in those with washing symptoms (p=0.004) and taboo thoughts (p=0.007) though it did not differ significantly between washers and taboo thought groups. The BIS-11 did not differ across symptom dimensions. OCD is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of smoking. Impulsiveness, which does not significantly vary across distinct symptom dimensions, cannot explain this heterogeneity. The severity of addiction does not differ in smokers with OCD across symptom dimensions.

  16. Correlates of insight into different symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Fontenelle, Jùlia M; Harrison, Ben J; Santana, Lívia; Conceição do Rosário, Maria; Versiani, Marcio; Fontenelle, Leonardo F

    2013-02-01

    In this study, we evaluated insight into different obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptom dimensions and their impact on clinical and sociodemographic features of patients with OCD. Sixty OCD patients were assessed with the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS), the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-Short Version, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Sheehan Disability Scale. Two methods of using BABS were employed: 1) a traditional approach, which considers a composite of the insight into existing OCD symptoms, and 2) an alternative approach, which includes assessments of insight into each OCD symptom dimension separately. Composite BABS scores correlated with global severity of OCD and depressive symptoms, and degree of interference on social life/leisure activities and family life/home responsibilities. Dimension-specific correlations between severity of symptoms and insight ranged from very high (P = .87, for hoarding) to moderate (P = .61, for miscellaneous symptoms). Greater severity of depression and concomitant generalized anxiety disorder were independently associated with lower levels of insight into aggressive/checking symptoms. While earlier-onset OCD was associated with lower insight into sexual/religious and symmetry symptoms, later-onset OCD displayed lower insight into hoarding. Assessing insight into dimension-specific OCD symptoms may challenge the existence of clear-cut OCD with fair or poor insight.

  17. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and romantic functioning.

    PubMed

    Abbey, Richard D; Clopton, James R; Humphreys, Joy D

    2007-12-01

    The current study examined the romantic relationships of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants were 64 individuals recruited from a national conference who completed measures of OCD symptoms, depressive symptoms, intimacy, self-disclosure, relationship satisfaction, and relationship worry. Severity of obsessions was negatively correlated with intimacy, relationship satisfaction, and self-disclosure. In contrast, two compulsive behaviors (washing and neutralizing) were positively correlated with several relationship variables. Fears of contamination from sexual activity were positively correlated with the severity of OCD symptoms. The clinical implications of the findings from this study and suggestions for future research are presented.

  18. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder co-occurring with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Conceptual and clinical implications.

    PubMed

    Starcevic, Vladan; Berle, David; Brakoulias, Vlasios; Sammut, Peter; Moses, Karen; Milicevic, Denise; Hannan, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    There are ongoing uncertainties in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). This study aimed to test the proposition that OCPD may be a marker of severity of OCD by comparing groups of OCD individuals with and without OCPD on a number of variables. A total of 148 adults with a principal diagnosis of OCD were administered the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory and Symptom Checklist 90-Revised. Participants with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCPD were compared with those without OCPD. Some 70 (47.3%) participants were diagnosed with OCPD. The groups of participants with and without OCPD did not differ significantly with respect to any of the demographic variables, clinician-rated severity of OCD, levels of disability and mean age of onset of OCD. All self-rated OCD symptom dimensions except for contamination and checking were significantly more prominent in participants with OCPD, as were all self-rated dimensions of psychopathology. Participants with OCPD had significantly more frequent hoarding compulsions and obsessions involving a need to collect and keep objects. Of Axis I disorders, only panic disorder was significantly more frequent in participants with OCPD than in those without OCPD. A high frequency of OCPD among individuals with OCD suggests a strong, although not necessarily a unique, relationship between the two conditions. This finding may also be a consequence of the blurring of the boundary between OCD and OCPD by postulating that hoarding and hoarding-like behaviours characterise both disorders. Results of this study do not support the notion that OCD with OCPD is a marker of clinician-rated severity of OCD. However, individuals with OCPD had more prominent OCD symptoms, they were more distressed and exhibited various other psychopathological phenomena more intensely

  19. Dissecting the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale severity scale to understand the routes for symptomatic improvement in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Costa, Daniel L da Conceição; Barbosa, Veronica S; Requena, Guaraci; Shavitt, Roseli G; Pereira, Carlos A de Bragança; Diniz, Juliana B

    2017-10-01

    We aimed to investigate which items of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Severity Scale best discriminate the reduction in total scores in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients after 4 and 12 weeks of pharmacological treatment. Data from 112 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients who received fluoxetine (⩽80 mg/day) for 12 weeks were included. Improvement indices were built for each Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Severity Scale item at two timeframes: from baseline to week 4 and from baseline to week 12. Indices for each item were correlated with the total scores for obsessions and compulsions and then ranked by correlation coefficient. A correlation coefficient ⩾0.7 was used to identify items that contributed significantly to reducing obsessive-compulsive disorder severity. At week 4, the distress items reached the threshold of 0.7 for improvement on the obsession and compulsion subscales although, contrary to our expectations, there was greater improvement in the control items than in the distress items. At week 12, there was greater improvement in the time, interference, and control items than in the distress items. The use of fluoxetine led first to reductions in distress and increases in control over symptoms before affecting the time spent on, and interference from, obsessions and compulsions. Resistance did not correlate with overall improvement. Understanding the pathway of improvement with pharmacological treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder may provide clues about how to optimize the effects of medication.

  20. Impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) symptoms in Internet users

    PubMed Central

    Chamberlain, Samuel R.; Leppink, Eric W.; Redden, Sarah A.; Stein, Dan J.; Lochner, Christine; Grant, Jon E.

    2017-01-01

    Background Internet use is pervasive in many cultures. Little is known about the impact of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) symptoms on impulsive and compulsive psychopathologies in people who use the Internet. Method 1323 adult Internet users completed an online questionnaire quantifying OCPD symptoms, likely occurrence of select mental disorders (OCD, ADHD, problematic Internet use, anxiety), and personality questionnaires of impulsivity (Barratt) and compulsivity (Padua). Predictors of presence of OCPD symptoms (endorsement of at least 4 of 8 DSM criteria) were identified using binary logistic regression. Results In regression (p<0.001, AUC 0.77), OCPD symptoms were significantly associated with (in order of decreasing effect size): lower non-planning impulsivity, higher ADHD symptoms, problematic Internet use, avoidant personality disorder, female gender, generalized anxiety disorder, and some types of compulsions (checking, dressing/washing). Conclusions These data suggest that OCPD symptoms, defined in terms of at least 4 of 8 DSM tick-list criteria being met, are common in Internet users. OCPD symptoms were associated with considerably higher levels of psychopathology relating to both impulsive (ADHD) and compulsive (OC-related and problematic Internet use) disorders. These data merit replication and extension using gold-standard in-person clinical assessments, as the current study relied on self-report over the Internet. PMID:28738097

  1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Goli, Veeraindar; Krishnan, Ranga; Ellinwood, Everett

    1991-01-01

    An estimated three to seven million Americans suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder at some time in their lives. Until recently, obsessive compulsive disorder was considered refractory to most treatments. However, recent studies indicate a better prognosis with behavioral therapy, antidepressant medications, or both. Behavioral treatment is generally more effective for compulsions than for obsessions. PMID:21229040

  2. The Myth of the Pure Obsessional Type in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Monnica T.; Farris, Samantha G.; Turkheimer, Eric; Pinto, Anthony; Ozanick, Krystal; Franklin, Martin E.; Liebowitz, Michael; Simpson, H. Blair; Foa, Edna B.

    2011-01-01

    Background Several studies have identified discrete symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), derived from factor analyses of the individual items or symptom categories of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist (YBOCS-SC). The current study aims to extend previous work on the relationship between obsessions and compulsions by specifically including mental compulsions and reassurance-seeking. Since these compulsions have traditionally been omitted from prior factor analytic studies, their association to what have been called “pure obsessions” may have been overlooked. Method Participants (N=201) were recruited from two multi-site randomized clinical treatment trials for OCD. The YBOCS-SC was used to assess OCD symptoms as it includes a comprehensive list of obsessions and compulsions, arranged by content category. Each category was given a score based on whether symptoms were present and if the symptom was a primary target of clinical concern, and a factor analysis was conducted. Mental compulsions and reassurance-seeking were considered separate categories for the analysis. Results Using an orthogonal geomin rotation of 16 YBOCS-SC categories/items, we found a five-factor solution that explained 67% of the total variance. Inspection of items that composed each factor suggests five familiar constructs, with mental compulsions and reassurance-seeking included with sexual, aggressive, and religious obsessions (unacceptable/taboo thoughts). Conclusions This study suggests that the concept of the “pure obsessional” (e.g., patients with unacceptable/taboo thoughts yet no compulsions) may be a misnomer, as these obsessions were factorially associated with mental compulsions and reassurance-seeking in these samples. These findings may have implications for DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. PMID:21509914

  3. The relationship between Obsessive-Compulsive symptoms and PARKIN genotype: The CORE-PD study

    PubMed Central

    Sharp, ME; Caccappolo, E; Mejia-Santana, H; Tang, M–X; Rosado, L; Orbe Reilly, M; Ruiz, D; Louis, ED; Comella, C; Nance, M; Bressman, S; Scott, WK; Tanner, C; Waters, C; Fahn, S; Cote, L; Ford, B; Rezak, M; Novak, K; Friedman, JH; Pfeiffer, R; Payami, H; Molho, E; Factor, SA; Nutt, J; Serrano, C; Arroyo, M; Pauciulo, MW; Nichols, WC; Clark, LN; Alcalay, RN; Marder, KS

    2014-01-01

    Background Few studies have systematically investigated the association between PARKIN genotype and psychiatric co-morbidities of PD. PARKIN-associated PD is characterized by severe nigral dopaminergic neuronal loss, a finding that may have implications for behaviors rooted in dopaminergic circuits such as obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Methods The Schedule of Compulsions and Obsessions Patient Inventory (SCOPI) was administered to 104 patients with early-onset PD and 257 asymptomatic first-degree relatives. Carriers of one and two PARKIN mutations were compared to non-carriers. Results Among patients, carriers scored lower than non-carriers in adjusted models (one-mutation: 13.9 point difference, p=0.03; two-mutation: 24.1, p=0.001), where lower scores indicate less OCS. Among asymptomatic relatives, there was a trend towards the opposite: mutation carriers scored higher than non-carriers (one mutation p = 0.05; two mutations p = 0.13). Conclusions First, there was a significant association between PARKIN mutation status and obsessive-compulsive symptom level in both PD and asymptomatics, suggesting that OCS might represent an early non-motor dopamine-dependent feature. Second, irrespective of disease status, heterozygotes were significantly different that non-carriers suggesting that PARKIN heterozygosity may contribute to phenotype. PMID:25393808

  4. Symptom dimensions, clinical course and comorbidity in men and women with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Torresan, Ricardo C; Ramos-Cerqueira, Ana Teresa A; Shavitt, Roseli G; do Rosário, Maria Conceição; de Mathis, Maria Alice; Miguel, Euripedes C; Torres, Albina R

    2013-09-30

    The study aimed to compare male and female patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across symptom dimensions, clinical course and comorbidity. A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 858 adult OCD patients (DSM-IV) from the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Patients were evaluated using structured interviews, including the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I). The sample was composed of 504 women (58.7%) and 354 men (41.3%) with a mean age of 35.4 years-old (range: 18-77). Men were younger, more frequently single and presented more tics, social phobia and alcohol use disorders. Among men, symptom interference occurred earlier and symptoms of the sexual/religious dimension were more common and more severe. Conversely, women were more likely to present symptoms of the aggressive, contamination/cleaning and hoarding dimension and comorbidity with specific phobias, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, trichotillomania, skin picking and "compulsive" buying. In the logistic regression, female gender remained independently associated with the aggressive and contamination/cleaning dimensions. In both genders the aggressive dimension remained associated with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder, the sexual/religious dimension with major depression and the hoarding dimension with tic disorders. Gender seems to be relevant in the determination of OCD clinical presentation and course and should be considered an important aspect when defining more homogeneous OCD subgroups. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Does obsessive-compulsive personality disorder belong within the obsessive-compulsive spectrum?

    PubMed

    Fineberg, Naomi A; Sharma, Punita; Sivakumaran, Thanusha; Sahakian, Barbara; Chamberlain, Sam R; Chamberlain, Sam

    2007-06-01

    It has been proposed that certain Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I disorders share overlapping clinical features, genetic contributions, and treatment response and fall within an "obsessive-compulsive" spectrum. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) resembles obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other spectrum disorders in terms of phenomenology, comorbidity, neurocognition, and treatment response. This article critically examines the nosological profile of OCPD with special reference to OCD and related disorders. By viewing OCPD as a candidate member of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, we gain a fresh approach to understanding its neurobiology, etiology, and potential treatments.

  6. Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms and Quality of Life in mothers of Children With Atopic Dermatitis.

    PubMed

    Gunduz, S; Usak, E; Ozen, S; Gorpelioglu, C

    2017-06-01

    Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common skin disorders in children and it can negatively affect both children and their families. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of atopic dermatitis on quality of life related to maternal health and maternal obsessive compulsive symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the pediatric and dermatology polyclinics. The SCORAD index was used for determining the severity of disease, and the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) and SF-36 form were applied to the participants' mothers. A total of 120 children and their mothers participated the study. Comparing the atopic dermatitis group and the healthy control group, no statistically significant differences were seen in terms of MOCI and SF-36 scores, except for the physical functioning subscore. The results showed that having a child with atopic dermatitis and the severity of the disease do not influence their mothers in terms of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and health-related quality of life, except for physical functioning scores. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  7. Brain Structural Correlates of Subclinical Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Healthy Children.

    PubMed

    Suñol, Maria; Contreras-Rodríguez, Oren; Macià, Dídac; Martínez-Vilavella, Gerard; Martínez-Zalacaín, Ignacio; Subirà, Marta; Pujol, Jesús; Sunyer, Jordi; Soriano-Mas, Carles

    2018-01-01

    Subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms are frequently observed in children and have been reported to predict a subsequent diagnosis of OC disorder (OCD). Therefore, identifying the putative neurobiological signatures of such risk is crucial, because it would allow for the characterization of the underpinnings of OCD without the interfering effects of chronicity, medication, or comorbidities, especially when interpreted within the context of OCD clinical heterogeneity and taking into account normal neurodevelopmental changes. The present study aimed to identify the brain volumetric features associated with subclinical OC symptoms and the potential modulatory effects of sex and age in a large sample of healthy children. Two hundred fifty-five healthy children were assessed using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Child Version and underwent a brain structural magnetic resonance examination. The relation between total and symptom-specific scores and regional gray and white matter (GM and WM) volumes was evaluated. Participants were grouped according to sex and age (younger versus older) to assess the effect of these factors on symptom-brain morphometry associations. Ordering symptoms were negatively related to GM volumes in the ventral caudate. Hoarding symptoms were positively associated with GM and WM volumes in the left inferior frontal gyrus, and obsessing symptoms correlated negatively with GM and WM volumes in the right temporal pole. Doubt-checking symptoms correlated positively with WM volumes in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the corpus callosum. Sex and age modulated some of these associations. Subclinical OC symptoms are associated with specific brain volumetric features, which could be considered potential neural signatures of increased risk for OCD. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. The relationship between magical thinking, inferential confusion and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Goods, N A R; Rees, C S; Egan, S J; Kane, R T

    2014-01-01

    Inferential confusion is an under-researched faulty reasoning process in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Based on an overreliance on imagined possibilities, it shares similarities with the extensively researched construct of thought-action fusion (TAF). While TAF has been proposed as a specific subset of the broader construct of magical thinking, the relationship between inferential confusion and magical thinking is unexplored. The present study investigated this relationship, and hypothesised that magical thinking would partially mediate the relationship between inferential confusion and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A non-clinical sample of 201 participants (M = 34.94, SD = 15.88) were recruited via convenience sampling. Regression analyses found the hypothesised mediating relationship was supported, as magical thinking did partially mediate the relationship between inferential confusion and OC symptoms. Interestingly, inferential confusion had the stronger relationship with OC symptoms in comparison to the other predictor variables. Results suggest that inferential confusion can both directly and indirectly (via magical thinking) impact on OC symptoms. Future studies with clinical samples should further investigate these constructs to determine whether similar patterns emerge, as this may eventually inform which cognitive errors to target in treatment of OCD.

  9. Obsessive-compulsive disorder presenting with musical obsessions in otosclerosis: a case report.

    PubMed

    Islam, Lucrezia; Scarone, Silvio; Gambini, Orsola

    2014-11-24

    Musical obsessions consist of intrusive recollections of music fragments that are experienced as unwanted. Otosclerosis is caused by an abnormal bone homeostasis of the otic capsule and represents a frequent cause of hearing impairment. Many conditions causing hearing loss have been associated with musical hallucinations, but the association between musical obsessions and hearing loss is frequently overlooked. We present the case of a 51-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder who developed musical obsessions soon after being diagnosed with otosclerosis. She was referred to our obsessive-compulsive disorder outpatient unit by her general psychiatrist. At the time of our first evaluation, she had severe musical obsessions that interfered with her social functioning and made her unable to follow conversations. She was started on 40mg of paroxetine and 2.5mg of aripiprazole, which led to significant improvement of her symptoms and of her social and work functioning. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of musical obsessions in a patient with hearing loss due to otosclerosis and a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This case suggests that a differential diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder should be carefully considered in patients with hearing impairment who complain of involuntary musical imagery, especially in those patients who have a previous history of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

  10. Stability of the Pregnancy Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Symptoms Checklist.

    PubMed

    van Broekhoven, Kiki E M; Karreman, Annemiek; Hartman, Esther E; Pop, Victor J M

    2018-02-01

    Because stability over time is central to the definition of personality disorder, aim of the current study was to determine the stability of the Pregnancy Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) Symptoms Checklist (N = 199 women). Strong positive correlations between assessments at 32 weeks of pregnancy and 2 and 3-3.5 years after childbirth were found (r between .62-.72), and the group mean score did not change over time. The Pregnancy OCPD Symptoms Checklist assesses stable, trait-like symptoms of OCPD.

  11. Dissociative symptoms and dissociative disorder comorbidity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Belli, Hasan; Ural, Cenk; Vardar, Melek Kanarya; Yesılyurt, Sema; Oncu, Fatıh

    2012-10-01

    The present study attempted to assess the dissociative symptoms and overall dissociative disorder comorbidity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In addition, we examined the relationship between the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative symptoms. All patients admitted for the first time to the psychiatric outpatient unit were included in the study. Seventy-eight patients had been diagnosed as having OCD during the 2-year study period. Patients had to meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for OCD. Most (76.9%; n = 60) of the patients were female, and 23.1% (n = 18) of the patients were male. Dissociation Questionnaire was used to measure dissociative symptoms. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Dissociative Disorders interviews and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Checklist and Severity Scale were used. Eleven (14%) of the patients with OCD had comorbid dissociative disorder. The most prevalent disorder in our study was dissociative depersonalization disorder. Dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder were common as well. The mean Yale-Brown score was 23.37 ± 7.27 points. Dissociation Questionnaire scores were between 0.40 and 3.87 points, and the mean was 2.23 ± 0.76 points. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between Yale-Brown points and Dissociation Questionnaire points. We conclude that dissociative symptoms among patients with OCD should alert clinicians for the presence of a chronic and complex dissociative disorder. Clinicians may overlook an underlying dissociative process in patients who have severe symptoms of OCD. However, a lack of adequate response to cognitive-behavioral and drug therapy may be a consequence of dissociative process. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. How does thought-action fusion relate to responsibility attitudes and thought suppression to aggravate the obsessive-compulsive symptoms?

    PubMed

    Altın, Müjgan; Gençöz, Tülin

    2011-01-01

    Comprehensive cognitive theories of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) propose that clinical obsessions and compulsions arise from specific sorts of dysfunctional beliefs and appraisals, such as inflated sense of responsibility, thought-action fusion (TAF), and thought suppression. The present study aimed to examine the mediator roles of responsibility and thought suppression between TAF and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Specifically, it aimed to explore the relative effects of TAF factors (i.e. morality and likelihood) on inflated sense of responsibility and on thought suppression to increase the obsessive qualities of intrusions. Two hundred and eighty-three Turkish undergraduate students completed a battery of measures on responsibility, thought suppression, TAF, OC symptoms, and depression. A series of hierarchical regression analyses, where depressive symptoms were controlled for, indicated that TAF-morality and TAF-likelihood follow different paths toward OC symptoms. Although TAF-morality associated with inflated sense of responsibility, TAF-likelihood associated with thought suppression efforts, and in turn these factors increased OC symptoms. These findings provide support for the critical role of sense of responsibility and thought suppression between the relationship of TAF and OC symptoms. Findings were discussed in line with the literature.

  13. [Obsessive-compulsive disorders in forensic-psychiatric opinions].

    PubMed

    Kocur, Józef; Trendak, Wiesława

    2009-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorders and disorders within their spectrum pose a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem, as the symptoms that appear along with the disorders result from dysfunction of the emotional, motivational and cognitive sphere. The dysfunction is determined by complex genetic, neurochemical and neurophysiological factors. Exacerbation of the symptoms may weaken the control over the disturbed impulses and compulsions, which in turn may lead to violation of law. Therefore, a forensic-psychiatric evaluation in cases related to patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorders has to include very complex relations between the type and the circumstances of the committed act or the undertaken actions and the type and intensity of these disorders.

  14. Obsessionality & compulsivity: a phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Denys, Damiaan

    2011-02-01

    Progress in psychiatry depends on accurate definitions of disorders. As long as there are no known biologic markers available that are highly specific for a particular psychiatric disorder, clinical practice as well as scientific research is forced to appeal to clinical symptoms. Currently, the nosology of obsessive-compulsive disorder is being reconsidered in view of the publication of DSM-V. Since our diagnostic entities are often simplifications of the complicated clinical profile of patients, definitions of psychiatric disorders are imprecise and always indeterminate. This urges researchers and clinicians to constantly think and rethink well-established definitions that in psychiatry are at risk of being fossilised. In this paper, we offer an alternative view to the current definition of obsessive-compulsive disorder from a phenomenological perspective. TRANSLATION: This article is translated from Dutch, originally published in [Handbook Obsessive-compulsive disorders, Damiaan Denys, Femke de Geus (Eds.), (2007). De Tijdstroom uitgeverij BV, Utrecht. ISBN13: 9789058980878.].

  15. Test Review: C. R. Reynolds and B. Livingston "CMOCS--Children's Measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms." Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services, 2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lund, Emily M.; Dennison, Andrea; Ewing, Heidi K.; de Carvalho, Catharina F.

    2011-01-01

    This article presents a review of the Children's Measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms (CMOCS), a self-report screening measure of obsessive and compulsive thoughts and behaviors in children and adolescents aged 8 through 19 years. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is estimated to affect 1% to 3% of the population over their lifetime. The…

  16. The characteristics of unacceptable/taboo thoughts in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Brakoulias, Vlasios; Starcevic, Vladan; Berle, David; Milicevic, Denise; Moses, Karen; Hannan, Anthony; Sammut, Peter; Martin, Andrew

    2013-10-01

    In the quest to unravel the heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an increasing number of factor analytic studies are recognising unacceptable/taboo thoughts as one of the symptom dimensions of OCD. This study aims to examine the characteristics associated with unacceptable/taboo thoughts. Using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist (YBOCS-SC) with 154 individuals with OCD, obsessive-compulsive symptoms were subjected to principal components analysis. The characteristics associated with the resulting symptom dimensions were then assessed using logistic and linear regression techniques. Unacceptable/taboo thoughts comprised of sexual, religious and impulsive aggressive obsessions, and mental rituals. Higher scores on an unacceptable/taboo thoughts symptom dimension were predicted by higher Y-BOCS obsession subscores, Y-BOCS time preoccupied by obsessions scores, Y-BOCS distress due to obsessions scores, importance of control of thought ratings, male gender, and having had treatment prior to entering into the study. Unacceptable/taboo thoughts were also predicted by greater levels of hostility, and a past history of non-alcohol substance dependence. An unacceptable/taboo thought symptom dimension of OCD is supported by a unique set of associated characteristics that should be considered in the assessment and treatment of individuals with these symptoms. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Relationship between symptom dimensions and white matter alterations in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Yagi, Michiyo; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Nakazato, Michiko; Nemoto, Kiyotaka; Ishikawa, Kazuhiro; Sutoh, Chihiro; Miyata, Haruko; Matsumoto, Junko; Matsumoto, Koji; Masuda, Yoshitada; Obata, Takayuki; Iyo, Masaomi; Shimizu, Eiji; Nakagawa, Akiko

    2017-06-01

    To investigate the relationship between the severities of symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and white matter alterations. We applied tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) acquired by 3T magnetic resonance imaging. First, we compared fractional anisotropy (FA) between 20 OCD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC). Then, applying whole brain analysis, we searched the brain regions showing correlations between the severities of symptom dimensions assessed by Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and FA in all participants. Finally, we calculated the correlations between the six symptom dimensions and multiple DTI measures [FA, axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), mean diffusivity (MD)] in a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis and explored the differences between OCD patients and HC. There were no between-group differences in FA or brain region correlations between the severities of symptom dimensions and FA in any of the participants. ROI analysis revealed negative correlations between checking severity and left inferior frontal gyrus white matter and left middle temporal gyrus white matter and a positive correlation between ordering severity and right precuneus in FA in OCD compared with HC. We also found negative correlations between ordering severity and right precuneus in RD, between obsessing severities and right supramarginal gyrus in AD and MD, and between hoarding severity and right insular gyrus in AD. Our study supported the hypothesis that the severities of respective symptom dimensions are associated with different patterns of white matter alterations.

  18. Frequency and correlates of suicidal ideation in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Storch, Eric A; Bussing, Regina; Jacob, Marni L; Nadeau, Joshua M; Crawford, Erika; Mutch, P Jane; Mason, Dana; Lewin, Adam B; Murphy, Tanya K

    2015-02-01

    This study examined the frequency and sociodemographic and clinical correlates of suicidal ideation in a sample of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Fifty-four youth with OCD and their parent(s) were administered the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime, Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. Children completed the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior (SIQ-JR), Child Obsessive Compulsive Impact Scale-Child, and Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; parents completed the Child Obsessive Compulsive Impact Scale-Parent, Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV Parent Scale, and Young Mania Rating Scale-Parent Version. Seven youth endorsed clinically significant levels of suicidal ideation on the SIQ-JR. Suicidal ideation was significantly related to clinician-rated depressive symptoms, age, child-rated impairment and anxiety symptoms, and symmetry, sexuality/religiosity and miscellaneous symptom dimensions. There was no significant association between suicidal ideation and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, comorbidity patterns, or several parent-rated indices (e.g., impairment, impulsivity). These results provide initial information regarding the frequency and correlates of suicidal ideation in treatment-seeking youth with OCD. Clinical implications are discussed, as well as directions for future research.

  19. The mediating role of disgust sensitivity and thought-action fusion between religiosity and obsessive compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Inozu, Mujgan; Ulukut, Fulya Ozcanli; Ergun, Gokce; Alcolado, Gillian M

    2014-10-01

    Psychological theories of obsessions and compulsions have long recognised that strict religious codes and moral standards might promote thought-action fusion (TAF) appraisals. These appraisals have been implicated in the transformation of normally occurring intrusions into clinically distressing obsessions. Furthermore, increased disgust sensitivity has also been reported to be associated with obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms. No research, however, has investigated the mediating roles of TAF and disgust sensitivity between religiosity and OC symptoms. This study was composed of 244 undergraduate students who completed measures of OC symptoms, TAF, disgust sensitivity, religiosity and negative effect. Analyses revealed that the relationship between religiosity and OC symptoms was mediated by TAF and disgust sensitivity. More importantly, the mediating role of TAF was not different across OC symptom subtypes, whereas the mediating role of disgust sensitivity showed different patterns across OC symptom subtypes. These findings indicate that the tendency for highly religious Muslims to experience greater OC symptoms is related to their heightened beliefs about disgust sensitivity and the importance of thoughts. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

  20. Differences in obsessive-compulsive symptoms and obsessive beliefs: a comparison between African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and European Americans.

    PubMed

    Wheaton, Michael G; Berman, Noah C; Fabricant, Laura E; Abramowitz, Jonathan S

    2013-01-01

    Clinical research has increasingly considered ethnic group differences in the expression of anxiety disorders, but to date few investigations have focused specifically on the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We examined group differences in OC symptoms, related cognitions ("obsessive beliefs"), and their associations. The sample included European American (N = 1199), African American (N = 215), Asian American (N = 116), and Latino American (N = 72) participants. African American and Asian American participants reported more contamination-related OC symptoms than did European Americans. Asian Americans also reported elevated levels of obsessive beliefs. Moreover, group membership moderated the relationship between obsessive beliefs and certain dimensions of OC symptoms. These findings suggest group differences in the experience of OC symptoms and related cognitions, and that the cognitive-behavioral model of some OC symptoms could be refined and tailored for groups underrepresented in OCD research to date.

  1. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia: prevalence and associated factors in a Nigerian population.

    PubMed

    Opakunle, Tolulope; Akinsulore, Adesanmi; Aloba, Olutayo O; Fatoye, Femi O

    2017-09-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) among subjects with schizophrenia and also to determine their associated factors. A cross-sectional study involving 232 patients with schizophrenia were recruited from a teaching hospital in Nigeria. Socio-demographic questionnaire, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Suicidality module of the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Inventory were administered. The prevalence of OCS was 54.3% among patients with schizophrenia, and washing symptom was the most common (51.7%). Patients with schizophrenia that had OCS had more severe psychopathologies and higher levels of suicidality. OCS among patients with schizophrenia were also associated with the use of second-generation antipsychotic medications. OCS are common in schizophrenia. Hence, there is a need for routine screening of patients with schizophrenia for OCS and then, manage them appropriately.

  2. Neuropsychological Functioning in Obsessive-Compulsive Washers: Drug-Naive Without Depressive Symptoms

    PubMed Central

    Saremi, Ali Akbar; Shariat, Seyed Vahid; Nazari, Mohammad Ali; Dolatshahi, Behrooz

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex and heterogeneous neuropsychiatric syndrome. Contamination obsessions and washing/cleaning compulsions are the most frequent clinical OCD subtypes. The current study aimed at examining the neuropsychological impairments in drug-naive obsessive-compulsive (OC) washers without depressive symptoms and their association with the severity of symptoms. Methods: In the current causal-comparative study, 35 patients with diagnostic and statistical mental disorders class (DSM)-IV diagnosed with washing-subtype OCD and 35 healthy subjects were selected by the convenience sampling method and evaluated by computerized neuropsychology battery and clinical tests as Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Go/No-Go Test, Digits Forward (DF), Digits Backward (DB), Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28. The patients were matched to the comparison group with regard to age, gender, intelligence quotient (IQ), education, and handedness. All the tests were standardized in Iran. SPSS version 20.00 was used for descriptive and analytical data analysis. Results: There was no statistically significant different between the OCD washing and the control groups regarding socio-demographic variables or IQ. There were significant differences between the OC washer and the healthy control groups on the neuropsychological functioning. The obtained results suggested that OC washers performed significantly worse on neuropsychological measures than the controls. There was no significant association between the severity of OC symptoms and the neuropsychological functions in the OCD washing group. Conclusion: It was concluded that executive function impairment, which is a core feature in OC washers was trait-like in nature. PMID:28781731

  3. Quality of Life in Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Vieira, Joana; Ramalho E Silva, Filipa

    2016-09-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a psychiatric disorder stated as one of the most debilitating diseases in the developedworld. However, not much is known about how this disease impairs patients' quality of life in children. We conducted a research in PubMed and Thomson Reuters Web Of Science using the following terms: 'Quality of life', 'Obsessive-compulsive disorder', 'Child', 'Pediatrics' and 'Adolescent'. Of the 138 papers retrieved with this search, five articles corresponded to the aim of this review. We analyzed quality of life in children with obsessive-compulsive disorder comparing with general population and searching the relation with other clinical variables such as sex, age, comorbidities, symptoms dimension, symptoms severity, family accommodation and quality of life. Albeit studies results not being concordant regarding the different dimensions analyzed, our findings pointed to an overall decrease of quality of life in children with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The presence of co-morbidities, symptoms severity and obsessions with harm/aggression content are the variables that have a higher influence in quality of life levels. The small number of articles found and the fact that their methodology was extremely heterogeneous made it difficult to state robust conclusions. Despite that, our findings agree with other studies in adults. Quality of life in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder must be better explored in future researches. We suggest the introduction of quality of life as a routinely used instrument in patient's assessment and in treatment response evaluation.

  4. Frequency and Correlates of Suicidal Ideation in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Storch, Eric A.; Bussing, Regina; Jacob, Marni L.; Nadeau, Joshua M.; Crawford, Erika; Mutch, P. Jane; Mason, Dana; Lewin, Adam B.; Murphy, Tanya K.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the frequency and sociodemographic and clinical correlates of suicidal ideation in a sample of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Fifty-four youth with OCD and their parent(s) were administered the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime, Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and Children’s Depression Rating Scale-Revised. Children completed the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire - Junior, Child Obsessive Compulsive Impact Scale–Child, and Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; parents completed the Child Obsessive Compulsive Impact Scale–Parent, Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham–IV Parent Scale, and Young Mania Rating Scale–Parent Version. Seven youth endorsed clinically significant levels of suicidal ideation on the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire - Junior. Suicidal ideation was significantly related to clinician-rated depressive symptoms, age, child-rated impairment and anxiety symptoms, and symmetry, sexuality/religiosity and miscellaneous symptom dimensions. There was no significant association between suicidal ideation and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, comorbidity patterns, or several parent-rated indices (e.g., impairment, impulsivity). These results provide initial information regarding the frequency and correlates of suicidal ideation in treatment-seeking youth with OCD. Clinical implications are discussed, as well as directions for future research. PMID:24682580

  5. The presence of magical thinking in obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Einstein, Danielle A; Menzies, Ross G

    2004-05-01

    Two research groups have raised the possibility that magical ideation may be a fundamental feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It has been proposed to underlie thought action fusion and superstitious beliefs. In this study, the Magical Ideation scale, the Lucky Behaviours and Lucky Beliefs scales, the Thought Action Fusion-Revised scale, the Padua Inventory, and the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Short Version were completed by 60 obsessive compulsive patients at a hospital clinic. Of all the measures, the Magical Ideation (MI) scale was found to be the most strongly related to obsessive compulsive symptoms. Large and significant relationships between MI scores and the measures of OCD were obtained even when alternative constructs (Lucky Behaviours, Lucky Beliefs, Thought Action Fusion-Revised scales) were held constant. No other variable remained significantly related to the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Short Version when magical ideation scores were held constant. The findings suggest that a general magical thinking tendency may underpin previous observed links between superstitiousness, thought action fusion and OCD severity.

  6. The relation among perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder in individuals with eating disorders.

    PubMed

    Halmi, Katherine A; Tozzi, Federica; Thornton, Laura M; Crow, Scott; Fichter, Manfred M; Kaplan, Allan S; Keel, Pamela; Klump, Kelly L; Lilenfeld, Lisa R; Mitchell, James E; Plotnicov, Katherine H; Pollice, Christine; Rotondo, Alessandro; Strober, Michael; Woodside, D Blake; Berrettini, Wade H; Kaye, Walter H; Bulik, Cynthia M

    2005-12-01

    Perfectionism and obsessionality are core features of eating disorders (ED), yet the nature of their relation remains unknown. Understanding the relation between these traits may enhance our ability to identify relevant behavioral endophenotypes for ED. Six-hundred seven individuals with anorexia and bulimia nervosa from the International Price Foundation Genetic Study were assessed for perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). No differences were found across ED subtypes in the prevalence of OCPD and OCD, nor with the association between OCD and OCPD. Perfectionism scores were highest in individuals with OCPD whether alone or in combination with OCD. Perfectionism appears to be more closely associated with obsessive-compulsive personality symptoms rather than OCD. The pairing of perfectionism with OCPD may be a relevant core behavioral feature underlying vulnerability to ED. Copyright 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Suicidality in obsessive-compulsive disorder: prevalence and relation to symptom dimensions and comorbid conditions.

    PubMed

    Torres, Albina R; Ramos-Cerqueira, Ana Teresa A; Ferrão, Ygor A; Fontenelle, Leonardo F; do Rosário, Maria Conceição; Miguel, Euripedes C

    2011-01-01

    Suicidal thoughts and behaviors, also known as suicidality, are a fairly neglected area of study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To evaluate several aspects of suicidality in a large multicenter sample of OCD patients and to compare those with and without suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts according to demographic and clinical variables, including symptom dimensions and comorbid disorders. This cross-sectional study included 582 outpatients with primary OCD (DSM-IV) recruited between August 2003 and March 2008 from 7 centers of the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. The following assessment instruments were used: the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, and 6 specific questions to investigate suicidality. After univariate analyses, logistic regression analyses were performed to adjust the associations between the dependent and explanatory variables for possible confounders. Thirty-six percent of the patients reported lifetime suicidal thoughts, 20% had made suicidal plans, 11% had already attempted suicide, and 10% presented current suicidal thoughts. In the logistic regression, only lifetime major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remained independently associated with all aspects of suicidal behaviors. The sexual/religious dimension and comorbid substance use disorders remained associated with suicidal thoughts and plans, while impulse-control disorders were associated with current suicidal thoughts and with suicide plans and attempts. The risk of suicidal behaviors must be carefully investigated in OCD patients, particularly those with symptoms of the sexual/religious dimension and comorbid major depressive disorder, PTSD, substance use disorders, and impulse-control disorders. © Copyright 2011 Physicians

  8. Dissociative symptoms and dissociative disorders comorbidity in obsessive compulsive disorder: Symptom screening, diagnostic tools and reflections on treatment

    PubMed Central

    Belli, Hasan

    2014-01-01

    Borderline personality disorder, conversion disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder frequently have dissociative symptoms. The literature has demonstrated that the level of dissociation might be correlated with the severity of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and that those not responding to treatment had high dissociative symptoms. The structured clinical interview for DSM-IV dissociative disorders, dissociation questionnaire, somatoform dissociation questionnaire and dissociative experiences scale can be used for screening dissociative symptoms and detecting dissociative disorders in patients with OCD. However, a history of neglect and abuse during childhood is linked to a risk factor in the pathogenesis of dissociative psychopathology in adults. The childhood trauma questionnaire-53 and childhood trauma questionnaire-40 can be used for this purpose. Clinicians should not fail to notice the hidden dissociative symptoms and childhood traumatic experiences in OCD cases with severe symptoms that are resistant to treatment. Symptom screening and diagnostic tools used for this purpose should be known. Knowing how to treat these pathologies in patients who are diagnosed with OCD can be crucial. PMID:25133142

  9. Dissociative symptoms and dissociative disorders comorbidity in obsessive compulsive disorder: Symptom screening, diagnostic tools and reflections on treatment.

    PubMed

    Belli, Hasan

    2014-08-16

    Borderline personality disorder, conversion disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder frequently have dissociative symptoms. The literature has demonstrated that the level of dissociation might be correlated with the severity of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and that those not responding to treatment had high dissociative symptoms. The structured clinical interview for DSM-IV dissociative disorders, dissociation questionnaire, somatoform dissociation questionnaire and dissociative experiences scale can be used for screening dissociative symptoms and detecting dissociative disorders in patients with OCD. However, a history of neglect and abuse during childhood is linked to a risk factor in the pathogenesis of dissociative psychopathology in adults. The childhood trauma questionnaire-53 and childhood trauma questionnaire-40 can be used for this purpose. Clinicians should not fail to notice the hidden dissociative symptoms and childhood traumatic experiences in OCD cases with severe symptoms that are resistant to treatment. Symptom screening and diagnostic tools used for this purpose should be known. Knowing how to treat these pathologies in patients who are diagnosed with OCD can be crucial.

  10. Phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Juang, Y Y; Liu, C Y

    2001-12-01

    This study was designed to assess the phenomenology, comorbidities, correlation with depressive disorders, and gender differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in Taiwan. Two hundred outpatients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of OCD according to DSM-IV were included. Patient characteristics, age at onset, symptom profile, and Axis I comorbidity were recorded. Gender differences, age at onset, and comorbidity of depressive disorders among different subtypes of OCD were compared. The most common obsession was contamination, followed by pathological doubt, and need for symmetry. The most common compulsion was checking, followed by washing, and orderliness compulsions. More men than women presented with the obsession of need for symmetry. Eighty-three (41.5%) subjects had comorbid depressive disorders. Women had more major depressive disorder. Patients with somatic obsessions were more likely to have major depressive disorder. Most clinical characteristics of OCD in Taiwan were similar to that of previous studies in other countries.

  11. The Toronto Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Psychometrics of a Dimensional Measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Traits.

    PubMed

    Park, Laura S; Burton, Christie L; Dupuis, Annie; Shan, Janet; Storch, Eric A; Crosbie, Jennifer; Schachar, Russell J; Arnold, Paul D

    2016-04-01

    To describe the Toronto Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (TOCS), a novel 21-item parent- or self-report questionnaire that covers wide variation in obsessive-compulsive (OC) traits, and to evaluate its psychometric properties in a community-based pediatric sample. The TOCS was completed for 16,718 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17 years in a community setting. Internal consistency, convergent validity with the Obsessive-Compulsive Scale of the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL-OCS), divergent validity with the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) Symptoms and Normal Behaviour Rating Scale (SWAN), interrater reliability, as well as sensitivity and specificity of the TOCS were assessed. The internal consistency of the 21 TOCS items was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.94). TOCS was moderately correlated with the CBCL-OCS (Spearman correlation = 0.51) and poorly correlated with the SWAN (Pearson correlation = 0.02). Sensitivity and specificity analyses indicated that a TOCS total score of greater than 0 successfully discriminated community-reported obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) cases from noncases. OC traits were continuously distributed both at the total score and dimensional level in our pediatric community sample. TOCS is a multidimensional measure of OC traits in children and adolescents with sound psychometric properties. TOCS reveals that OC traits are common and continuously distributed in a community sample. TOCS may be a useful measure for studies of the characteristics and etiology of OC traits. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Peer Victimization in Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Relations with Symptoms of Psychopathology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Storch, Eric A.; Ledley, Deborah Roth; Lewin, Adam B.; Murphy, Tanya K.; Johns, Natalie B.; Goodman, Wayne K.; Geffken, Gary R.

    2006-01-01

    This study examined the frequency of peer victimization and psychological symptom correlates among youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The Schwartz Peer Victimization Scale, Children's Depression Inventory, and Asher Loneliness Scale were administered to 52 children and adolescents diagnosed with OCD. The child's parent or guardian…

  13. An exploratory dimensional approach to premenstrual manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms: a multicentre study.

    PubMed

    Moreira, Luciana; Bins, Helena; Toressan, Ricardo; Ferro, Cláudia; Harttmann, Thiago; Petribú, Kátia; Juruena, Mário Francisco; do Rosário, Maria Conceição; Ferrão, Ygor Arzeno

    2013-04-01

    In women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), symptom severity appears to fluctuate over the course of the menstrual cycle. The objective of this paper was to compare female OCD patients with and without premenstrual worsening of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), in terms of the clinical characteristics of OCD. This was a cross-sectional study involving 455 women with OCD, of whom 226 (49.7%) had experienced premenstrual OCS worsening and 229 (50.3%) had not (PMOCS-worse and PMOCS-same groups, respectively). Data were collected with the original and dimensional versions of the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale, as well as with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck anxiety inventory (BAI). We found significant differences between the PMOCS-same and PMOCS-worse groups, the latter showing a higher frequency of suicidal ideation (P<.001), suicide attempts (P=.027), current use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (P=.022), lifetime use of mood stabilisers (P=.015), and sexual/religious obsessions (P<.001; OR=1.90), as well as higher scores on the BDI (P<.001) and BAI (P<.001). Underscoring the fact that OCD is a heterogeneous disorder, there appears to be a subgroup of female OCD patients in whom the premenstrual period is associated with a higher frequency of sexual/religious obsessions, depression, anxiety, and suicidality. This might be attributable to hormonal fluctuations. Further studies are warranted in order to investigate this hypothesis by evaluating such patients at different phases of the menstrual cycle, as well as measuring hormonal levels. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Clinical features of pure obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Torres, Albina R; Shavitt, Roseli G; Torresan, Ricardo C; Ferrão, Ygor A; Miguel, Euripedes C; Fontenelle, Leonardo F

    2013-10-01

    Psychiatric comorbidity is the rule in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, very few studies have evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with no co-occurring disorders (non-comorbid or "pure" OCD). The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pure cases in a large multicenter sample of OCD patients and compare the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of individuals with and without any lifetime axis I comorbidity. A cross-sectional study with 955 adult patients of the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (C-TOC). Assessment instruments included the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, The USP-Sensory Phenomena Scale and the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale. Comorbidities were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. Bivariate analyses were followed by logistic regression. Only 74 patients (7.7%) presented pure OCD. Compared with those presenting at least one lifetime comorbidity (881, 92.3%), non-comorbid patients were more likely to be female and to be working, reported less traumatic experiences and presented lower scores in the Y-BOCS obsession subscale and in total DY-BOCS scores. All symptom dimensions except contamination-cleaning and hoarding were less severe in non-comorbid patients. They also presented less severe depression and anxiety, lower suicidality and less previous treatments. In the logistic regression, the following variables predicted pure OCD: sex, severity of depressive and anxious symptoms, previous suicidal thoughts and psychotherapy. Pure OCD patients were the minority in this large sample and were characterized by female sex, less severe depressive and anxious symptoms, less suicidal thoughts and less use of psychotherapy as a treatment modality. The implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Open-label study of duloxetine for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Dougherty, Darin D; Corse, Andrew K; Chou, Tina; Duffy, Amanda; Arulpragasam, Amanda R; Deckersbach, Thilo; Jenike, Michael A; Keuthen, Nancy J

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to investigate the efficacy of duloxetine for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (DSM-IV). Twenty individuals were enrolled in a 17-week, open-label trial of duloxetine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Data were collected between March 2007 and September 2012. Study measures assessing obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, quality of life, depression, and anxiety were administered at baseline and weeks 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17. The primary outcome measures were the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Clinical Global Improvement scale. For the 12 study completers, pre- and posttreatment analyses revealed significant improvements (P<.05) on clinician- and self-rated measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and quality of life. Among the 12 completers, more than one-half (n=7) satisfied full medication response criteria. Intention-to-treat analyses (n=20) showed similar improvements (P<.05) on primary and secondary study outcome measures. The results of this study suggest that duloxetine may provide a significant reduction in symptoms for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00464698; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00464698?term=NCT00464698&rank=1. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

  16. The Impact of Symptom Dimensions on Outcome for Exposure and Ritual Prevention Therapy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Monnica T.; Farris, Samantha G.; Turkheimer, Eric N.; Franklin, Martin E.; Simpson, H. Blair; Liebowitz, Michael; Foa, Edna B.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. The behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP). This study examined the impact of symptom dimensions on EX/RP outcomes in OCD patients. Method The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to determine primary symptoms for each participant. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of 238 patients identified five dimensions: contamination/cleaning, doubts about harm/checking, hoarding, symmetry/ordering, and unacceptable/taboo thoughts (including religious/moral and somatic obsessions among others). A linear regression was conducted on those who had received EX/RP (n = 87) to examine whether scores on the five symptom dimensions predicted post-treatment Y-BOCS scores, accounting for pre-treatment Y-BOCS scores. Results The average reduction in Y-BOCS score was 43.0%, however the regression indicated that unacceptable/taboo thoughts (β = .27, p = .02) and hoarding dimensions (β = .23, p = .04) were associated with significantly poorer EX/RP treatment outcomes. Specifically, patients endorsing religious/moral obsessions, somatic concerns, and hoarding obsessions showed significantly smaller reductions in Y-BOCS severity scores. Conclusions EX/RP was effective for all symptom dimensions, however it was less effective for unacceptable/taboo thoughts and hoarding than for other dimensions. Clinical implications and directions for research are discussed. PMID:24983796

  17. The impact of symptom dimensions on outcome for exposure and ritual prevention therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Williams, Monnica T; Farris, Samantha G; Turkheimer, Eric N; Franklin, Martin E; Simpson, H Blair; Liebowitz, Michael; Foa, Edna B

    2014-08-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. The behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP). This study examined the impact of symptom dimensions on EX/RP outcomes in OCD patients. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to determine primary symptoms for each participant. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of 238 patients identified five dimensions: contamination/cleaning, doubts about harm/checking, hoarding, symmetry/ordering, and unacceptable/taboo thoughts (including religious/moral and somatic obsessions among others). A linear regression was conducted on those who had received EX/RP (n=87) to examine whether scores on the five symptom dimensions predicted post-treatment Y-BOCS scores, accounting for pre-treatment Y-BOCS scores. The average reduction in Y-BOCS score was 43.0%, however the regression indicated that unacceptable/taboo thoughts (β=.27, p=.02) and hoarding dimensions (β=.23, p=.04) were associated with significantly poorer EX/RP treatment outcomes. Specifically, patients endorsing religious/moral obsessions, somatic concerns, and hoarding obsessions showed significantly smaller reductions in Y-BOCS severity scores. EX/RP was effective for all symptom dimensions, however it was less effective for unacceptable/taboo thoughts and hoarding than for other dimensions. Clinical implications and directions for research are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Mediation of symptom changes during inpatient treatment for eating disorders: the role of obsessive-compulsive features.

    PubMed

    Olatunji, Bunmi O; Tart, Candyce D; Shewmaker, Shona; Wall, David; Smits, Jasper A J

    2010-10-01

    The present study examined the relative contributions of changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms among eating-disorder patients with (n = 254) and without (n = 254) obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to eating-disorder symptom improvement observed with inpatient treatment. Consistent with hypothesis, multilevel mediation analyses revealed that improvements in OCD symptoms over time accounted for significant variance in the improvements in eating-disorder symptoms over time, with stronger mediation evident among eating-disorder patients with comorbid OCD (percent mediated; P(M) = 22.5%) compared to those without OCD (P(M) = 12.2%). However, decreases in eating-disorder symptoms over time fully mediated improvements in OCD symptoms over time, and this mediated pathway did not vary substantially as a function of comorbid OCD status. The theoretical and treatment implications of these findings for conceptualizing the relationship between eating disorders and OCD are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. [Autistic dimension in obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescence].

    PubMed

    Ardizzone, Ignazio; Soletti, Laura; Panunzi, Sara; Carratelli, Teresa I

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with normal and poor insight of illness and it detects the presence of autistic traits. The aim is to establish the relationship between OCD and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD): comorbidity or subtype of OCD? The sample consists of 48 adolescents (aged 12-18) with a clinical diagnosis of OCD (according DSM-IV-TR). After administering the Children's Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CYBOCS) and the Brown Assessement Beliefs Scale (BABS), the sample is divided into two groups according to insight of illness. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) were used to assist in the ASD diagnosis; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II) was administered to assess personality disorders. 47% of subjects presents poor insight and 27% are included within the diagnostic criteria for autistic spectrum disorder. Poor insight in obsessive-compulsive symptoms is significantly associated with the presence of autistic traits. There is also a significant association between cluster hoarding and poor insight. This study suggests the existence of an obsessive autistic atypical subtype, where the compulsive dimension of repetitive behaviours vanishes in an autistic dimension with stereotyped manifestations. Further research should be conducted to better understand this obsessive autistic atypical subtype and to put it in the obsessive-compulsive spectrum in adolescence.

  20. A five-factor measure of obsessive-compulsive personality traits.

    PubMed

    Samuel, Douglas B; Riddell, Ashley D B; Lynam, Donald R; Miller, Joshua D; Widiger, Thomas A

    2012-01-01

    This study provides convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity data for the Five-Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FFOCI), a newly developed measure of traits relevant to obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) from the perspective of the Five-factor model (FFM). Twelve scales were constructed as maladaptive variants of specific FFM facets (e.g., Perfectionism as a maladaptive variant of FFM competence). On the basis of data from 407 undergraduates (oversampled for OCPD symptoms) these 12 scales demonstrated convergent correlations with established measures of OCPD and the FFM. Further, they obtained strong discriminant validity with respect to facets from other FFM domains. Most important, the individual scales and total score of the FFOCI obtained incremental validity beyond existing measures of the FFM and OCPD for predicting a composite measure of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. The findings support the validity of the FFOCI as a measure of obsessive-compulsive personality traits, as well as of maladaptive variants of the FFM.

  1. Mapping Compulsivity in the DSM-5 Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders: Cognitive Domains, Neural Circuitry, and Treatment

    PubMed Central

    Apergis-Schoute, Annemieke M; Vaghi, Matilde M; Banca, Paula; Gillan, Claire M; Voon, Valerie; Chamberlain, Samuel R; Cinosi, Eduardo; Reid, Jemma; Shahper, Sonia; Bullmore, Edward T; Sahakian, Barbara J; Robbins, Trevor W

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Compulsions are repetitive, stereotyped thoughts and behaviors designed to reduce harm. Growing evidence suggests that the neurocognitive mechanisms mediating behavioral inhibition (motor inhibition, cognitive inflexibility) reversal learning and habit formation (shift from goal-directed to habitual responding) contribute toward compulsive activity in a broad range of disorders. In obsessive compulsive disorder, distributed network perturbation appears focused around the prefrontal cortex, caudate, putamen, and associated neuro-circuitry. Obsessive compulsive disorder-related attentional set-shifting deficits correlated with reduced resting state functional connectivity between the dorsal caudate and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex on neuroimaging. In contrast, experimental provocation of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms reduced neural activation in brain regions implicated in goal-directed behavioral control (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, caudate) with concordant increased activation in regions implicated in habit learning (presupplementary motor area, putamen). The ventromedial prefrontal cortex plays a multifaceted role, integrating affective evaluative processes, flexible behavior, and fear learning. Findings from a neuroimaging study of Pavlovian fear reversal, in which obsessive compulsive disorder patients failed to flexibly update fear responses despite normal initial fear conditioning, suggest there is an absence of ventromedial prefrontal cortex safety signaling in obsessive compulsive disorder, which potentially undermines explicit contingency knowledge and may help to explain the link between cognitive inflexibility, fear, and anxiety processing in compulsive disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder. PMID:29036632

  2. Subclinical Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms, Cognitive Processes, School Achievement, and Intelligence-Achievement Relationship in Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malakar, Partha; Basu, Jayanti

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the study was to determine whether the general intelligence, cognitive processes, school achievement, and intelligence-achievement relationship of adolescents with subclinical levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms differed from those of their normal counterparts. From an initial large pool of 14-year-old Bengali students in eighth…

  3. Role of magical thinking in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in an undergraduate sample.

    PubMed

    Einstein, Danielle A; Menzies, Ross G

    2004-01-01

    Thought action fusion (TAF) is an important presenting feature of many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). "Magical thinking" is a similar construct (developed within the literature on schizotypy) that may provide a more accurate depiction of difficulties encountered by individuals with OCD. This study seeks to examine relationships between components of magical thinking, TAF, and superstitiousness; establish the extent to which these constructs are independently related to OCD proneness; and establish the extent to which these biased reasoning styles are related to each of the major OCD symptom clusters (e.g., washing, checking). The Padua Inventory (PI), the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Magical Ideation Scale (MI), the Lucky Behaviours (Lbeh) and Lucky Beliefs (Lbel) Scales, and the Thought Action Fusion-Revised scale (TAF-R) were given to a cohort of 86 undergraduate students. Of all the measures, the MI scale was found to be the most strongly related to obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Large and significant relationships between MI scores and the two measures of OCD (i.e., MOCI and PI) were obtained even when alternative mediators (i.e., Lbeh, Lbel, TAF-R) were held constant. No other variable remained significantly related to the MOCI or PI when magical ideation scores were held constant. The findings suggest that a general magical thinking tendency may underpin previous observed links between superstitiousness, thought action fusion, and OCD severity. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder with tic symptoms: clinical presentation and treatment outcome.

    PubMed

    Højgaard, Davíð R M A; Skarphedinsson, Gudmundur; Nissen, Judith Becker; Hybel, Katja A; Ivarsson, Tord; Thomsen, Per Hove

    2017-06-01

    Some studies have shown that children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and co-morbid tics differ from those without co-morbid tics in terms of several demographic and clinical characteristics. However, not all studies have confirmed these differences. This study examined children and adolescents with OCD and with possible or definite tic specifiers according to the DSM-5 in order to see whether they differ from patients without any tic symptoms regarding clinical presentation and outcome of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The full sample included 269 patients (aged 7-17) with primary DSM-IV OCD who had participated in the Nordic Long-term Treatment Study (NordLOTS). Symptoms of tics were assessed using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL). One or more tic symptoms were found in 29.9% of participants. Those with OCD and co-morbid tic symptoms were more likely male, more likely to have onset of OCD at an earlier age, and differed in terms of OCD symptom presentation. More specifically, such participants also showed more symptoms of OCD-related impairment, externalization, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the two groups showed no difference in terms of OCD severity or outcome of CBT. Children and adolescents with OCD and co-morbid tic symptoms differ from those without tic symptoms in several aspects of clinical presentation, but not in their response to CBT. Our results underscore the effectiveness of CBT for tic-related OCD. Nordic Long-term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Study; www.controlled-trials.com ; ISRCTN66385119.

  5. OCD: obsessive-compulsive … disgust? The role of disgust in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Bhikram, Tracy; Abi-Jaoude, Elia; Sandor, Paul

    2017-09-01

    Recent research has identified the important role of disgust in the symptomatology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Exaggerated and inappropriate disgust reactions may drive some of the symptoms of OCD, and in some cases, may even eclipse feelings of anxiety. This paper reviews behavioural and neuroimaging research that recognizes the prominent role of disgust in contributing to OCD symptoms, especially contamination-based symptoms. We discuss how elevated behavioural and biological markers of disgust reported in OCD populations support the need for alternative clinical treatment strategies and theoretical models of OCD.

  6. Sensory phenomena related to tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and global functioning in Tourette syndrome.

    PubMed

    Kano, Yukiko; Matsuda, Natsumi; Nonaka, Maiko; Fujio, Miyuki; Kuwabara, Hitoshi; Kono, Toshiaki

    2015-10-01

    Sensory phenomena, including premonitory urges, are experienced by patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The goal of the present study was to investigate such phenomena related to tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and global functioning in Japanese patients with TS. Forty-one patients with TS were assessed using the University of São Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale (USP-SPS), the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS), and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale. USP-SPS and PUTS total scores were significantly correlated with YGTSS total and vocal tics scores. Additionally, both sensory phenomena severity scores were significantly correlated with DY-BOCS total OCS scores. Of the six dimensional OCS scores, the USP-SPS scores were significantly correlated with measures of aggression and sexual/religious dimensions. Finally, the PUTS total scores were significantly and negatively correlated with GAF scores. By assessing premonitory urges and broader sensory phenomena, and by viewing OCS from a dimensional approach, this study provides significant insight into sensory phenomena related to tics, OCS, and global functioning in patients with TS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Topiramate as an adjuvant treatment for obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder: a randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Sahraian, Ali; Bigdeli, Mohammad; Ghanizadeh, Ahmad; Akhondzadeh, Shahin

    2014-09-01

    It has not been examined trialed whether obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder respond to topiramate as an adjuvant treatment. This 4-month double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial examined the efficacy and safety of augmentation with topiramat for treating the patients with bipolar disorder, manic phase type-I, and obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms. Both groups received lithium+olanzapine+clonazepam. However, one group received topiramate and the other group placebo as adjuvant medications. Yale Brown obsessive compulsive behavior scale was used to assess the outcome. Adverse effects were also recorded. A total of 32 patients completed this trial. The mean score decreased from 24.2(4.8) to 17.6(8.7) in the topiramate group (P<0.003) and from 20.9(2.9) to 9.6(3.5) in the placebo group during this trial (P<0.0001). Additionally, 9(52.9%) out of 17 patients in the topiramate group and 2(12.5%) out of 16 patients in the placebo group showed more than 34% decline in YBOC score (x2=6.0, df=1, P<0.01). No serious adverse effects were detected. The limitations of the present study were its small sample size and the fact that it was conducted in a single center. The combination of lithium+olanzapine+clonazepam decreased the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder in the patients with bipolar disorder type I. However, topiramate had a more significant effect than placebo on improvement of the patients with bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive symptoms. This combination seems to be without serious adverse effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Suicidality in schizophrenic patients with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Sevincok, Levent; Akoglu, Aybars; Kokcu, Filiz

    2007-02-01

    This report examines the suicidal behaviour in subjects with schizophrenia who have (N=24) and do not have comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (N=33). The patients with OCD-schizophrenia were more likely to have a previous history of suicidal attempts, and ideations. The number of previous suicidal attempts were significantly higher in patients with OCD-schizophrenia than in patients with non-OCD schizophrenia. The patients with a history of previous suicide attempts were more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis of OCD. Compulsive symptoms were significant predictors of suicide attempt among patients with schizophrenia. Our preliminary findings may suggest that obsessive-compulsive symptoms may account for the emergence of suicidality in patients with OCD-schizophrenia.

  9. Sensory over responsivity and obsessive compulsive symptoms: A cluster analysis.

    PubMed

    Ben-Sasson, Ayelet; Podoly, Tamar Yonit

    2017-02-01

    Several studies have examined the sensory component in Obsesseive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and described an OCD subtype which has a unique profile, and that Sensory Phenomena (SP) is a significant component of this subtype. SP has some commonalities with Sensory Over Responsivity (SOR) and might be in part a characteristic of this subtype. Although there are some studies that have examined SOR and its relation to Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms (OCS), literature lacks sufficient data on this interplay. First to further examine the correlations between OCS and SOR, and to explore the correlations between SOR modalities (i.e. smell, touch, etc.) and OCS subscales (i.e. washing, ordering, etc.). Second, to investigate the cluster analysis of SOR and OCS dimensions in adults, that is, to classify the sample using the sensory scores to find whether a sensory OCD subtype can be specified. Our third goal was to explore the psychometric features of a new sensory questionnaire: the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ). A sample of non clinical adults (n=350) was recruited via e-mail, social media and social networks. Participants completed questionnaires for measuring SOR, OCS, and anxiety. SOR and OCI-F scores were moderately significantly correlated (n=274), significant correlations between all SOR modalities and OCS subscales were found with no specific higher correlation between one modality to one OCS subscale. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct clusters: (1) No OC and SOR symptoms (NONE; n=100), (2) High OC and SOR symptoms (BOTH; n=28), (3) Moderate OC symptoms (OCS; n=63), (4) Moderate SOR symptoms (SOR; n=83). The BOTH cluster had significantly higher anxiety levels than the other clusters, and shared OC subscales scores with the OCS cluster. The BOTH cluster also reported higher SOR scores across tactile, vision, taste and olfactory modalities. The SPQ was found reliable and suitable to detect SOR, the sample SPQ scores was normally distributed (n=350). SOR is a

  10. Cognitive-behavioral high parental involvement treatments for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Iniesta-Sepúlveda, Marina; Rosa-Alcázar, Ana I; Sánchez-Meca, Julio; Parada-Navas, José L; Rosa-Alcázar, Ángel

    2017-06-01

    A meta-analysis on the efficacy of cognitive-behavior-family treatment (CBFT) on children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was accomplished. The purposes of the study were: (a) to estimate the effect magnitude of CBFT in ameliorating obsessive-compulsive symptoms and reducing family accommodation on pediatric OCD and (b) to identify potential moderator variables of the effect sizes. A literature search enabled us to identify 27 studies that fulfilled our selection criteria. The effect size index was the standardized pretest-postest mean change index. For obsessive-compulsive symptoms, the adjusted mean effect size for CBFT was clinically relevant and statistically significant in the posttest (d adj =1.464). For family accommodation the adjusted mean effect size was also positive and statistically significant, but in a lesser extent than for obsessive-compulsive symptoms (d adj =0.511). Publication bias was discarded as a threat against the validity of the meta-analytic results. Large heterogeneity among effect sizes was found. Better results were found when CBFT was individually applied than in group (d + =2.429 and 1.409, respectively). CBFT is effective to reduce obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but offers a limited effect for family accommodation. Additional modules must be included in CBFT to improve its effectiveness on family accommodation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Obsessive-compulsive skin disorders: a novel classification based on degree of insight.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Tian Hao; Nakamura, Mio; Farahnik, Benjamin; Abrouk, Michael; Reichenberg, Jason; Bhutani, Tina; Koo, John

    2017-06-01

    Individuals with obsessive-compulsive features frequently visit dermatologists for complaints of the skin, hair or nails, and often progress towards a chronic relapsing course due to the challenge associated with accurate diagnosis and management of their psychiatric symptoms. The current DSM-5 formally recognizes body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, neurotic excoriation and body focused repetitive behavior disorder as psychodermatological disorders belonging to the category of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. However there is evidence that other relevant skin diseases such as delusions of parasitosis, dermatitis artefacta, contamination dermatitis, AIDS phobia, trichotemnomania and even lichen simplex chronicus possess prominent obsessive-compulsive characteristics that do not necessarily fit the full diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5. Therefore, to increase dermatologists' awareness of this unique group of skin disorders with OCD features, we propose a novel classification system called Obsessive-Compulsive Insight Continuum. Under this new classification system, obsessive-compulsive skin manifestations are categorized along a continuum based on degree of insight, from minimal insight with delusional obsessions to good insight with minimal obsessions. Understanding the level of insight is thus an important first step for clinicians who routinely interact with these patients.

  12. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adults with Lyme disease.

    PubMed

    Johnco, Carly; Kugler, Brittany B; Murphy, Tanya K; Storch, Eric A

    This study examined the phenomenology and clinical characteristics of obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) in adults diagnosed with Lyme disease. Participants were 147 adults aged 18-82 years (M = 43.81, SD = 12.98) who reported having been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Participants were recruited from online support groups for individuals with Lyme disease, and completed an online questionnaire about their experience of OCS, Lyme disease characteristics, and the temporal relationship between these symptoms. OCS were common, with 84% endorsing clinically significant symptoms, 26% of which endorsed symptoms onset during the six months following their Lyme disease diagnosis and another 51% believed their symptoms were temporally related. Despite the common occurrence of OCS, only 44% of these participants self-identified these symptoms as problematic. Greater frequency of Lyme disease symptoms and disease-related impairment was related to greater OCS. In the majority of cases, symptom onset was gradual, and responded well to psychological and pharmacological treatment. Around half of participants (51%) reported at least some improvement in OCS following antibiotic treatment. This study highlights the common co-occurrence of OCS in patients with Lyme disease. It is unclear whether OCS are due to the direct physiological effects of Lyme disease or associated immunologic response, a psychological response to illness, a functional somatic syndrome, or some combination of these. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Training interpretation biases among individuals with symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Clerkin, Elise M.; Teachman, Bethany A.

    2011-01-01

    The current study tested the causal premise underlying cognitive models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts lead to the distress and impairment associated with symptoms of OCD. Specifically, we sought to determine: a) whether it was possible to train healthier (defined as more benign/less threatening) interpretations regarding the significance of intrusive thoughts; and b) whether there was a link between modifying negative interpretations and subsequent emotional vulnerability to an OC stressor. A nonclinical sample of students high in OC symptoms completed either a Positive (n=50) or Neutral (n=50) interpretation training procedure designed to alter OC-relevant interpretations and beliefs. As expected, participants in the Positive (versus Neutral) training condition endorsed healthier OC-relevant interpretations and beliefs following training. Additionally, when controlling for baseline affect, participants in the Positive (versus Neutral) training condition reported less negative affect during the OC stressor task (at the level of a nonsignificant trend) and reported less desire to perform neutralizing activities. In general, results provide some support for cognitive models of obsessions and suggest that negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts may be causally related to symptoms of OCD. PMID:21371415

  14. Clarifying the convergence between obsessive compulsive personality disorder criteria and obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Eisen, Jane L; Coles, Meredith E; Shea, M Tracie; Pagano, Maria E; Stout, Robert L; Yen, Shirley; Grilo, Carlos M; Rasmussen, Steven A

    2006-06-01

    In this study we examined the convergence between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) criteria and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Baseline assessments of 629 participants of the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study were used to examine the associations between OCPD criteria and diagnoses of OCD. Three of the eight OCPD criteria--hoarding, perfectionism, and preoccupation with details--were significantly more frequent in subjects with OCD (n = 89) than in subjects without OCD (n = 540). Logistic regressions were used to predict the probability of each OCPD criterion as a function of Axis I diagnoses (OCD, additional anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder). Associations between OCD and these three OCPD criteria remained significant in the logistic regressions, showing unique associations with OCD and odds ratios ranging from 2.71 to 2.99. In addition, other anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder showed few associations with specific OCPD criteria. This study suggests variability in the strength of the relationships between specific OCPD criteria and OCD. The findings also support a unique relationship between OCPD symptoms and OCD, compared to other anxiety disorders or major depression. Future efforts to explore the link between Axis I and Axis II disorders may be enriched by conducting analyses at the symptom level.

  15. CLARIFYING THE CONVERGENCE BETWEEN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER CRITERIA AND OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

    PubMed Central

    Eisen, Jane L.; Coles, Meredith E.; Shea, M. Tracie; Pagano, Maria E.; Stout, Robert L.; Yen, Shirley; Grilo, Carlos M.; Rasmussen, Steven A.

    2008-01-01

    In this study we examined the convergence between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) criteria and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Baseline assessments of 629 participants of the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study were used to examine the associations between OCPD criteria and diagnoses of OCD. Three of the eight OCPD criteria—hoarding, perfectionism, and preoccupation with details—were significantly more frequent in subjects with OCD (n = 89) than in subjects without OCD (n = 540). Logistic regressions were used to predict the probability of each OCPD criterion as a function of Axis I diagnoses (OCD, additional anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder). Associations between OCD and these three OCPD criteria remained significant in the logistic regressions, showing unique associations with OCD and odds ratios ranging from 2.71 to 2.99. In addition, other anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder showed few associations with specific OCPD criteria. This study suggests variability in the strength of the relationships between specific OCPD criteria and OCD. The findings also support a unique relationship between OCPD symptoms and OCD, compared to other anxiety disorders or major depression. Future efforts to explore the link between Axis I and Axis II disorders may be enriched by conducting analyses at the symptom level. PMID:16776557

  16. Towards a post-traumatic subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Fontenelle, Leonardo F; Cocchi, Luca; Harrison, Ben J; Shavitt, Roseli G; do Rosário, Maria Conceição; Ferrão, Ygor A; de Mathis, Maria Alice; Cordioli, Aristides V; Yücel, Murat; Pantelis, Christos; Mari, Jair de Jesus; Miguel, Euripedes C; Torres, Albina R

    2012-03-01

    We evaluated whether traumatic events are associated with a distinctive pattern of socio-demographic and clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We compared socio-demographic and clinical features of 106 patients developing OCD after post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; termed post-traumatic OCD), 41 patients developing OCD before PTSD (pre-traumatic OCD), and 810 OCD patients without any history of PTSD (non-traumatic OCD) using multinomial logistic regression analysis. A later age at onset of OCD, self-mutilation disorder, history of suicide plans, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and compulsive buying disorder were independently related to post-traumatic OCD. In contrast, earlier age at OCD onset, alcohol-related disorders, contamination-washing symptoms, and self-mutilation disorder were all independently associated with pre-traumatic OCD. In addition, patients with post-traumatic OCD without a previous history of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) showed lower educational levels, greater rates of contamination-washing symptoms, and more severe miscellaneous symptoms as compared to post-traumatic OCD patients with a history of OCS. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Taboo thoughts and doubt/checking: a refinement of the factor structure for obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Anthony; Eisen, Jane L; Mancebo, Maria C; Greenberg, Benjamin D; Stout, Robert L; Rasmussen, Steven A

    2007-06-30

    The purpose of this report was to improve upon earlier factor analyses of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptom categories by minimizing the heterogeneity in the aggressive obsessions category. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on data from 293 adults with primary OCD. The resulting five factors (Symmetry/Ordering, Hoarding, Doubt/Checking, Contamination/Cleaning, and Taboo Thoughts) are phenomenologically more homogeneous than prior category-based factors and are consistent with those derived in previous item-level analyses.

  18. Brain corticostriatal systems and the major clinical symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Ben J; Pujol, Jesus; Cardoner, Narcis; Deus, Joan; Alonso, Pino; López-Solà, Marina; Contreras-Rodríguez, Oren; Real, Eva; Segalàs, Cinto; Blanco-Hinojo, Laura; Menchon, José M; Soriano-Mas, Carles

    2013-02-15

    Functional neuroimaging studies have provided consistent support for the idea that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with disturbances of brain corticostriatal systems. However, in general, these studies have not sought to account for the disorder's prominent clinical heterogeneity. To address these concerns, we investigated the influence of major OCD symptom dimensions on brain corticostriatal functional systems in a large sample of OCD patients (n = 74) and control participants (n = 74) examined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We employed a valid method for mapping ventral and dorsal striatal functional connectivity, which supported both standard group comparisons and linear regression analyses with patients' scores on the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Consistent with past findings, patients demonstrated a common connectivity alteration involving the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex that predicted overall illness severity levels. This common alteration was independent of the effect of particular symptom dimensions. Instead, we observed distinct anatomical relationships between the severity of symptom dimensions and striatal functional connectivity. Aggression symptoms modulated connectivity between the ventral striatum, amygdala, and ventromedial frontal cortex, while sexual/religious symptoms had a specific influence on ventral striatal-insular connectivity. Hoarding modulated the strength of ventral and dorsal striatal connectivity with distributed frontal regions. Taken together, these results suggest that pathophysiological changes among orbitofrontal-striatal regions may be common to all forms of OCD. They suggest that a further examination of certain dimensional relationships will also be relevant for advancing current neurobiological models of the disorder. Copyright © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Broad autism spectrum and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adults with the fragile X premutation.

    PubMed

    Schneider, A; Johnston, C; Tassone, F; Sansone, S; Hagerman, R J; Ferrer, E; Rivera, S M; Hessl, D

    2016-08-01

    Clinical observations and a limited number of research studies provide evidence that the fragile X premutation may confer risk for autism, executive dysfunction, and psychopathology. The link to autism spectrum symptoms and social cognition deficits with the premutation remains uncertain, and thus was the focus of the present investigation. Our sample included 131 individuals, 42 men/22 women with the FMR1 premutation (mean age = 31.83 ± 8.59 years) with a normal neurological exam, and 48 men/19 women healthy age-matched controls (mean age = 29.48 ± 7.29 years). Individuals completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery with additional assessments for social cognition, broad autism spectrum, and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Premutation carriers self-reported higher rates of autism-related symptoms (Autism Quotient; p = .001). Among males only, premutation carriers showed more atypical social interaction (p < .001) and stereotyped behavior (p = .014) during standardized clinical examination on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) relative to controls. Female premutation carriers reported significantly higher rates of OC symptoms compared to control females (p = .012). Molecular measures defining the expanded premutation (FMR1 CGG repeat length and/or mRNA) were significantly associated with a measure of theory of mind (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task). The results of this study indicate a higher rate of broad autism spectrum symptoms in some males with the premutation and provide evidence for an obsessive-compulsive subtype in female premutation carriers.

  20. [Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, tics, stereotypic movements or need for absolute consistency? The occurrence of repetitive activities in patients with pervasive developmental disorders--case studies].

    PubMed

    Bryńska, Anita; Lipińska, Elzbieta; Matelska, Monika

    2011-01-01

    Repetitive and stereotyped behaviours in the form of stereotyped interests or specific routine activities are one ofthe diagnostic criteria in pervasive developmental disorders. The occurrence of repetitive behaviours in patients with pervasive developmental disorders is a starting point for questions about the type and classification criteria of such behaviours. The aim of the article is to present case studies of patients with pervasive developmental disorders and co-morbid symptoms in the form of routine activities, tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms or stereotyped behaviours. The first case study describes a patient with Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive symptoms. The diagnostic problems regarding complex motor tics are discussed in the second case study which describes a patient with Asperger's syndrome and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. The third and fourth case study describes mono-zygotic twins with so called High Functioning Autism whose repetitive activities point to either obsessive compulsive symptoms, stereotypic movements, need for absolute consistency or echopraxia. The possible comorbidity of pervasive developmental disorders and symptoms in the form of repetitive behaviours, possible interactions as well as diagnostic challenges is discussed in the article.

  1. Prevalence and correlates of obsessive-compulsive disorder and subthreshold obsessive-compulsive disorder among college students in Kerala, India

    PubMed Central

    Jaisoorya, T. S.; Janardhan Reddy, Y. C.; Nair, B. Sivasankaran; Rani, Anjana; Menon, Priya G.; Revamma, M.; Jeevan, C. R.; Radhakrishnan, K. S.; Jose, Vineetha; Thennarasu, K.

    2017-01-01

    Context: There are scarce data on the prevalence of adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in India. Aims: The aim was to study the point prevalence of OCD and subthreshold OCD and its psychosocial correlates among college students in the district of Ernakulam, Kerala, India. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional survey of 5784 students of the age range of 18–25 years from 58 colleges was conducted. Materials and Methods: Students were self-administered the OCD subsection of the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs), and other relevant instruments to identify OCD, subthreshold OCD, and related clinical measures. Statistical Analysis: The point prevalence of OCD and subthreshold OCD was determined. Categorical variables were compared using Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests as necessary. Differences between means were compared using the ANOVA. Results: The point prevalence of OCD was 3.3% (males = 3.5%; females = 3.2%). 8.5% students (males = 9.9%; females = 7.7%) fulfilled criteria of subthreshold OCD. Taboo thoughts (67.1%) and mental rituals (57.4%) were the most common symptoms in OCD subjects. Compared to those without obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs), those with OCD and subthreshold OCD were more likely to have lifetime tobacco and alcohol use, psychological distress, suicidality, sexual abuse, and higher attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom scores. Subjects with subthreshold OCD were comparable to those with OCD except that OCD subjects had higher psychological distress scores and academic failures. Conclusions: OCD and subthreshold OCD are not uncommon in the community, both being associated with significant comorbidity. Hence, it is imperative that both are identified and treated in the community because of associated morbidity. PMID:28529361

  2. Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--Second Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Storch, Eric A.; Rasmussen, Steven A.; Price, Lawrence H.; Larson, Michael J.; Murphy, Tanya K.; Goodman, Wayne K.

    2010-01-01

    The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS; Goodman, Price, Rasmussen, Mazure, Delgado, et al., 1989) is acknowledged as the gold standard measure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptom severity. A number of areas where the Y-BOCS may benefit from revision have emerged in past psychometric studies of the Severity Scale and Symptom…

  3. Incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children with nonmonosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis.

    PubMed

    Yousefichaijan, Parsa; Khosrobeigi, Ali; Salehi, Bahman; Taherahmadi, Hassan; Shariatmadari, Fakhreddin; Ghandi, Yazdan; Alinejad, Saeed; Farhadiruzbahani, Fateme

    2016-01-01

    Enuresis is defined as the repeated voiding of urine into clothes or bed at least twice a week for at least 3 consecutive months in a child who is at least 5 years of age. The behavior is not due exclusively to the direct physiologic effect of a substance or a general medical condition. Diurnal enuresis defines wetting, whereas awake and nocturnal enuresis refers to voiding during sleep. Primary enuresis occurs in children who have never been consistently dry through the night, whereas secondary enuresis refers the resumption of wetting after at least 6 months of dryness. Monosymptomatic enuresis has no associated daytime symptoms, and nonmonosymptomatic enuresis, which is more common, often has at least one subtle daytime symptom. Monosymptomatic enuresis is rarely associated with significant organic underlying abnormalities. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic disabling illness characterized by repetitive, ritualistic behaviors over which the patients have little or no control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between OCD and nonmonosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE). In this case-control study, we evaluated 186 children aged 6-17 years old who were visited in the pediatric clinics of Amir Kabir Hospital, Arak, Iran. The control group included 93 healthy children, and the case group included 93 age- and sex-matched children with stage 1-3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Then, the children's behavioral status was evaluated using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The difference in compulsion was significant ( P = 0.021), whereas the difference in obsession was significant between the two groups ( P = 0.013). The most common symptom in CKD children with compulsion was silent repetition of words. Compulsive and obsessive are more common in NMNE versus healthy children. The observed correlation between compulsive-obsessive and NMNE makes psychological counseling mandatory in children with NMNE.

  4. Frequency and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms/disorders, violence and suicidal in schizophrenic patients.

    PubMed

    Hosseini, S H; Zarghami, M; Moudi, S; Mohammadpour, A R

    2012-06-01

    This study determined the prevalence and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms/disorder (OCS/OCD), aggression and suicidal in schizophrenic patients. Also we compared the prevalence and severity of aggression and suicidal in schizophrenic patients with and without OCS/OCD considering anxiety, depression and substance abuse as confounding factors. During 2007 and 2008, 100 schizophrenic patients were evaluated with Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Spilberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Scale for suicide Ideation, and Overt Aggression Scale. OCS/OCD and suicidal attempts were seen in 33%, 10% and 12% of patients respectively. The most common form of aggression was against others (55%), and aggressive obsessions were seen in 10% of the patients. Comparing patients with and without OCS/OCD, there were no significant differences in the severity of schizophrenia, suicidal and overt aggression. The severity of overt aggression was related to the patients' age and education reversely. Also, there was a relationship between their suicidal thoughts and residence in the cities. High rate of aggressive obsessions and lack of relationship between severity of aggression and presence of OCD indicated that these patients did not act on these thoughts. The risk of suicide was more serious in patients living in the cities, and risk of violence was more serious in younger and less educated patients.

  5. Comparison of Knowledge of Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior between Counseling Students and School Administration Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Sandy

    Obsessive-compulsive adolescence behavior in the classroom environment can be disruptive, affecting the teacher and other students. Certain personality traits of the obsessive-compulsive are obvious, while other symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed. As school staff are often the first step in the primary diagnosis process, the purpose of this…

  6. Comorbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorder in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a marker of severity.

    PubMed

    Lochner, Christine; Serebro, Paul; van der Merwe, Lize; Hemmings, Sian; Kinnear, Craig; Seedat, Soraya; Stein, Dan J

    2011-06-01

    Comorbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is well-described in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It remains unclear, however, whether OCPD in OCD represents a distinct subtype of OCD or whether it is simply a marker of severity in OCD. The aim of this study was to compare a large sample of OCD subjects (n=403) with and without OCPD on a range of demographic, clinical and genetic characteristics to evaluate whether comorbid OCPD in OCD represents a distinct subtype of OCD, or is a marker of severity. Our findings suggest that OCD with and without OCPD are similar in terms of gender distribution and age at onset of OC symptoms. Compared to OCD-OCPD (n=267, 66%), those with OCD+OCPD (n=136, 34%) are more likely to present with the OC symptom dimensions which reflect the diagnostic criteria for OCPD (e.g., hoarding), and have significantly greater OCD severity, comorbidity, functional impairment, and poorer insight. Furthermore there are no differences in distribution of gene variants, or response to treatment in the two groups. The majority of our findings suggest that in OCD, patients with OCPD do not have a highly distinctive phenomenological or genetic profile, but rather that OCPD represents a marker of severity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Streptococcal Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Exacerbations of Tic and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leckman, James F.; King, Robert A.; Gilbert, Donald L.; Coffey, Barbara J.; Singer, Harvey S.; Dure, Leon S., IV; Grantz, Heidi; Katsovich, Liliya; Lin, Haiqun; Lombroso, Paul J.; Kawikova, Ivana; Johnson, Dwight R.; Kurlan, Roger M.; Kaplan, Edward L.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this blinded, prospective, longitudinal study was to determine whether new group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections are temporally associated with exacerbations of tic or obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in children who met published criteria for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders…

  8. Neuropsychological profile of schizophrenia with and without obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Kazhungil, Firoz; Kumar, Keshav J; Viswanath, Biju; Shankar, Ravi Girikematha; Kandavel, Thennarasu; Math, Suresh Bada; Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan; Reddy, Y C J

    2017-10-01

    Neuropsychological profile of schizophrenia with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in comparison with that of schizophrenia without OCD is understudied and the results are inconsistent. We hypothesize that patients having schizophrenia with OCD ('schizo-obsessive disorder') may have unique neuropsychological deficits in comparison with those with schizophrenia alone, particularly with respect to executive functions. Thirty patients with schizo-obsessive disorder and 30 individually matched patients with schizophrenia without any obsessive-compulsive symptoms formed the sample of the study. Neuropsychological assessment included tests for attention, executive functions and memory. Patients with schizo-obsessive disorder did not differ from those with schizophrenia alone with respect to measures of attention, executive functions and memory. Our findings do not support unique neuropsychological profile of schizo-obsessive disorder. Studying a larger sample of drug-naive patients in a longitudinal design may provide us more insights in to this. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Emotional and Cognitive Variables Associated with Contamination-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms.

    PubMed

    García-Soriano, Gemma; Rosell-Clari, Vicent; Serrano, Miguel Ángel

    2016-05-23

    Different variables have been associated with the development/ maintenance of contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although the relevance of these factors has not been clearly established. The present study aimed to analyze the relevance and specificity of these variables. Forty-five women with high scores on obsessive-compulsive contamination symptoms (n = 16) or checking symptoms (n = 15), or non-clinical scores (n = 14) participated in a behavioral approach/avoidance task (BAT) with a contamination-OCD stimulus. Vulnerability variables and participants' emotional, cognitive, physiological and behavioral responses to the BAT were appraised. Results show that fear of illness was a relevant vulnerability variable specific to contamination participants (p = .001; η2 p = .291). Contamination participants responded with significantly higher subjective disgust (p =.001; η2 p = .269), anxiety (p = .001; η2 p = .297), urge to wash (p < .001; η2 p = 370), threat from emotion (p < .001; η2 p = .338) and contamination severity (p = .002; η2 p = .260) appraisals, and with lower behavioral approach (p = .008; η2 p = .208) than the other two groups. Moreover, contamination participants showed lower heart rate acceleration (p = .046; η2 p = .170) and higher contamination likelihood appraisals (p < .001; η2 p = .342) than the non-clinical group. Urge to wash was predicted by state disgust (R 2 change = .346) and threat from emotion (R 2 change = .088). These responses were predicted by general anxiety sensitivity (R 2 change = .161), disgust propensity (R 2 change = .255) and fear of illness (R 2 change = .116), but not by other vulnerability variables such as dysfunctional beliefs about thoughts (Responsibility and Overestimation of threat) or disgust sensitivity. State disgust, threat from disgust, anxiety sensitivity and fear of illness were found to be the most relevant variables in contamination symptoms.

  10. The link between ADHD-like inattention and obsessions and compulsions during treatment of youth with OCD

    PubMed Central

    Guzick, Andrew G.; McNamara, Joseph P.H.; Reid, Adam M.; Balkhi, Amanda M.; Storch, Eric A.; Murphy, Tanya K.; Goodman, Wayne K.; Bussing, Regina; Geffken, Gary R.

    2017-01-01

    Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been found to be highly comorbid in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Some have proposed, however, that obsessive anxiety may cause inattention and executive dysfunction, leading to inappropriate ADHD diagnoses in those with OCD. If this were the case, these symptoms would be expected to decrease following successful OCD treatment. The present study tested this hypothesis and evaluated whether ADHD symptoms at baseline predicted OCD treatment response. Obsessive-compulsive and ADHD symptoms were assessed in 50 youth enrolled in a randomized controlled trial investigating selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and cognitive behavioral treatment. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) revealed that ADHD symptoms at baseline do not significantly predict treatment outcome. A multivariate RMANOVA found that OCD treatment response moderated change in inattention; participants who showed greater reduction in OCD severity experienced greater reduction in ADHD-inattentive symptoms, while those with less substantial reduction in obsessions and compulsions showed less change. These findings suggest that children and adolescents with OCD and inattention may experience meaningful improvements in attention problems following OCD treatment. Thus, in many youth with OCD, inattention may be inherently tied to obsessions and compulsions. Clinicians may consider addressing OCD in treatment before targeting inattentive-type ADHD. PMID:28966908

  11. Training interpretation biases among individuals with symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Clerkin, Elise M; Teachman, Bethany A

    2011-09-01

    The current study tested the causal premise underlying cognitive models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts lead to the distress and impairment associated with symptoms of OCD. Specifically, we sought to determine: (a) whether it was possible to train healthier (defined as more benign/less threatening) interpretations regarding the significance of intrusive thoughts; and (b) whether there was a link between modifying negative interpretations and subsequent emotional vulnerability to an OC stressor. A nonclinical sample of students high in OC symptoms completed either a Positive (n = 50) or Neutral (n = 50) interpretation training procedure designed to alter OC-relevant interpretations and beliefs. As expected, participants in the Positive (versus Neutral) training condition endorsed healthier OC-relevant interpretations and beliefs following training. Additionally, when controlling for baseline affect, participants in the Positive (versus Neutral) training condition reported less negative affect during the OC-stressor task (at the level of a non-significant trend) and reported less desire to perform neutralizing activities. In general, results provide some support for cognitive models of obsessions and suggest that negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts may be causally related to symptoms of OCD. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Streptococcal upper respiratory tract infections and psychosocial stress predict future tic and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Haiqun; Williams, Kyle A.; Katsovich, Liliya; Findley, Diane B.; Grantz, Heidi; Lombroso, Paul J.; King, Robert A.; Bessen, Debra E.; Johnson, Dwight; Kaplan, Edward L.; Landeros-Weisenberger, Angeli; Zhang, Heping; Leckman, James F.

    2009-01-01

    Background: One goal of this prospective longitudinal study was to identify new group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome (TS) and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) compared to healthy control subjects. We then examined the power of GABHS infections and measures of psychosocial stress to predict future tic, obsessive-compulsive (OC), and depressive symptom severity. Methods: Consecutive ratings of tic, OC and depressive symptom severity were obtained for 45 cases and 41 matched control subjects over a two-year period. Clinical raters were blinded to the results of laboratory tests. Laboratory personnel were blinded to case or control status and clinical ratings. Structural equation modeling for unbalanced repeated measures was used to assess the sequence of new GABHS infections and psychosocial stress and their impact on future symptom severity. Results: Increases in tic and OC symptom severity did not occur after every new GABHS infection. However, the structural equation model found that these newly diagnosed infections were predictive of modest increases in future tic and OC symptom severity, but did not predict future depressive symptom severity. In addition, the inclusion of new infections in the model greatly enhanced, by a factor of three, the power of psychosocial stress in predicting future tic and OC symptom severity. Conclusions: Our data suggest that a minority of children with TS and early-onset OCD were sensitive to antecedent GABHS infections. These infections also enhanced the predictive power of current psychosocial stress on future tic and OC symptom severity. PMID:19833320

  13. Association between cognitive impairments and obsessive-compulsive spectrum presentations following traumatic brain injury.

    PubMed

    Rydon-Grange, Michelle; Coetzer, Rudi

    2017-01-02

    This study examined the association between self-reported obsessive-compulsive spectrum symptomatology and cognitive performance in a sample of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Twenty-four adults with a moderate-severe TBI accessing a community brain injury rehabilitation service were recruited. Age ranged between 19 and 69 years. Participants completed a battery of neuropsychological tasks assessing memory, executive functioning, and speed of information processing. Self-report questionnaires assessing obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) traits were also completed. Correlational analyses revealed that deficits in cognitive flexibility were associated with greater self-reported OC symptomatology and severity. Greater OC symptom severity was significantly related to poorer performance on a visual memory task. Verbal memory and speed of information processing impairments were unrelated to OC symptoms. Performance on tasks of memory, executive functioning, and speed of information processing were not associated with OCPD traits. Overall, results indicate that greater OC symptomatology and severity were associated with specific neuropsychological functions (i.e., cognitive flexibility, visual memory). OCPD personality traits were unrelated to cognitive performance. Further research is needed to examine the potential causal relationship and longer-term interactions between cognitive sequelae and obsessive-compulsive spectrum presentations post-TBI.

  14. Hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a report of 20 cases.

    PubMed

    Winsberg, M E; Cassic, K S; Koran, L M

    1999-09-01

    We describe the demographic characteristics, hoarding phenomenology, comorbid disorders, family histories, and treatment response of 20 adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients exhibiting hoarding behavior. We utilized the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and a semistructured interview to gather data. We studied 9 women and 11 men. Their hoarding began from age 5 years to age 46 years (mean +/- SD age at onset = 20 +/- 11 years); hoarding was evident before the onset of other OCD symptoms in 9 patients. The most commonly hoarded items were newspapers and magazines, junk mail, old clothes, notes or lists, and old receipts. Hoarded material occupied from one room plus most or all closets to more than one room plus all closets, the garage, and yard. Seven patients rented additional storage space for hoarded items. Eighty-four percent of patients reported a family history of hoarding, and 80% grew up in a household where someone else hoarded. The most frequent primary motives for hoarding were fears of discarding something useful and discarding something that would be needed in the future. Lifetime prevalence of major depression and of impulse-control disorders, especially compulsive shopping, were high; only 3 patients met DSM-IV criteria for obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Response of hoarding to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was less robust than is expected for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Whether hoarding behaviors mark a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients with a different pathophysiology or functional anatomy deserves investigation.

  15. Emotional perception and theory of mind in first episode psychosis: the role of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology.

    PubMed

    Ntouros, Evangelos; Bozikas, Vasilios P; Andreou, Christina; Kourbetis, Dimitris; Lavrentiadis, Grigoris; Garyfallos, George

    2014-12-15

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms on emotional perception and theory of mind (ToM) in patients with first-episode psychosis. Participants were 65 patients with non-affective first episode psychosis (FEP) and 47 healthy controls. The patient group was divided into two subgroups, those with (FEP+; n=38) and those without obsessive-compulsive symptomatology (FEP-; n=27). Emotion perception and ToM were assessed with the Perception of Social Inference Test. Severity of psychotic and obsessive-compulsive symptoms was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), respectively. Deficits in emotion recognition and theory of mind were confirmed in patients with non-affective first-episode psychosis compared to healthy controls. In patients, comorbidity with obsessive-compulsive symptoms was associated with worse performance on certain aspects of social cognition (ToM 2nd order) compared to FEP- patients. Our findings of impaired emotion perception and ToM in patients with first-episode psychosis support the hypothesis that deficits are already present at illness onset. Presence of OCS appears to have further deleterious effects on social cognition, suggesting that these patients may belong to a schizo-obsessive subtype of schizophrenia characterized by more extensive neurobiological impairment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the postpartum period. A prospective cohort.

    PubMed

    Miller, Emily S; Chu, Christine; Gollan, Jacqueline; Gossett, Dana R

    2013-01-01

    To estimate the prevalence of postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and to ascertain risk factors for this condition. This is a prospective cohort of postpartum women carried out from June to September 2009. A total of 461 women were recruited after delivery at a tertiary care institution. Demographic, psychiatric, and obstetric information were collected from each participant. Patients were contacted at 2 weeks and at 6 months postpartum and completed screening tests for depression, anxiety, and OCD. Eleven percent of women screened positive for OCD symptoms at 2 weeks postpartum. At 6 months postpartum almost half of those women had persistent symptoms, and an additional 5.4% had developed new OCD symptoms. Concomitant positive screens for anxiety and depression were predictive factors for the development of OCD symptoms. Prior population-based studies estimate the prevalence of OCD to be approximately 2-3%. We found much higher rates among women in the postpartum period. The postpartum period is a high-risk time for the development of OCD symptoms. When such symptoms develop, they have a high likelihood of persisting for at least 6 months.

  17. Obsessive-compulsive disorder spectrum as a scientific "metaphor".

    PubMed

    Pallanti, Stefano; Hollander, Eric

    2008-09-01

    As a result of clinical, epidemiological, neuroimaging, and therapy studies that took place in the late 1980s, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been well-characterized in the field of anxiety disorders. Other disorders attracted attention for their similarities to OCD, and were located in the orbit of the disorder. OCD has become known as the "primary domain" of a scientific "metaphor" comprising the putative cluster of OCD-related disorders (OCRDs). It is a "paradigm" with which to explore basal ganglia dysfunction. The OCRDs share common phenomenology, comorbidities, lifetime course, demographics, possible genetics, and frontostriatal dysfunction (particularly caudate hyperactivity.) The adoption of this metaphor analogy has proven useful. However, 15 years since its emergence, the spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorders remains controversial. Questions under debate include whether OCD is a unitary or split condition, whether it is an anxiety disorder, and whether there exists only one spectrum or several possible spectrums. Further work is needed to clarify obsessive-compulsive symptoms, subtypes, and endophenotypes. There is need to integrate existing databases, better define associated symptom domains, and create a more comprehensive endophenotyping protocol for OCRDs. There is also a need to integrate biological and psychological perspectives, concepts, and data to drive this evolution. By increasing research in this field, the OCD spectrum may evolve from a fragmented level of conceptualization as a "metaphor" to one that is more comprehensive and structured.

  18. A Review of the Pharmacotherapy of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenia: The Case of Sam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Randhawa, Ramandeep S.

    2005-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are a common feature of schizophrenia, and high rates of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been reported in schizophrenic patients. Effective pharmacotherapeutic options are available for both OCD and schizophrenia, and for some patients combining medications targeted at both conditions may be a helpful…

  19. Insight into Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Awareness of Illness in Adolescent Schizophrenia Patients with and without OCD

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faragian, Sarit; Kurs, Rena; Poyurovsky, Michael

    2008-01-01

    A substantial proportion of adolescent schizophrenia patients also has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As the reliability of OCD identification in schizophrenia has been challenged, we evaluated insight into OCD symptoms and awareness of schizophrenia, using the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale and the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental…

  20. Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Self-Report Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Dutch Adolescents at Ages 12, 14, and 16

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Grootheest, Daniel S.; Bartels, Meike; Van Beijsterveldt, Catarina E. M.; Cath, Danielle C.; Beekman, Aartjan T.; Hudziak, James J.; Boomsma, Dorret I.

    2008-01-01

    The involvement of genetic and environmental factors to the development of obsessive compulsion symptoms during the adolescent period is examined. Study revealed that individual differences in OC symptoms are heritable during puberty and shared environmental influences played a role only in the beginning of adolescence but no sex differences in…

  1. Health anxiety in obsessive compulsive disorder and obsessive compulsive symptoms in severe health anxiety: An investigation of symptom profiles.

    PubMed

    Hedman, Erik; Ljótsson, Brjánn; Axelsson, Erland; Andersson, Gerhard; Rück, Christian; Andersson, Erik

    2017-01-01

    Severe health anxiety (SHA) shares features with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and in recent years there has been a debate as to whether the two disorders may represent two facets of the same condition. Few studies have however investigated the overlap and differences in symptom profiles between the disorders. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate these aspects using one sample of participants with a principal diagnosis of SHA and one sample of participants with a principal OCD diagnosis. The second aim was to examine differences in improvement trajectories on measures of health anxiety and OCD symptoms in patients with SHA receiving treatment with exposure and response prevention. We compared persons participating in clinical trials with a principal diagnosis of SHA (N=290) to persons with a principal diagnosis of OCD (n=95) on measures of health anxiety, OCD symptoms, and depressive symptoms. A subsample of SHA participants (n=99) received exposure and response prevention (ERP) for SHA over 12 weeks and was assessed at baseline and post-treatment. The results showed large and significant differences between SHA and OCD patients on measures of health anxiety (ds=2.99-3.09) and OCD symptoms (ds=1.64-2.14), while they had equivalent levels of depressive symptoms (d=0.19, 95% CI [-0.04, 0.43]). In the SHA sample 7.6% had comorbid OCD, and in the OCD sample 9.5% had SHA. For participants with a principal diagnosis of SHA, ERP led to large reductions of health anxiety, but effects on OCD symptoms were small to moderate. Among participants with comorbid OCD, effect sizes were large on measures of health anxiety and moderate to large on OCD measures. We conclude that SHA and OCD are separate psychiatric disorders with limited overlap in symptom profiles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Evaluating effect of symptoms heterogeneity on decision-making ability in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Martoni, Riccardo Maria; Brombin, Chiara; Nonis, Alessandro; Salgari, Giulia Carlotta; Buongiorno, Angela; Cavallini, Maria Cristina; Galimberti, Elisa; Bellodi, Laura

    2015-07-01

    Despite having a univocal definition, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) shows a remarkably phenotypic heterogeneity. The published reports show impaired decision-making in OCD patients, using tasks such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). We wanted to verify the hypothesis of an IGT worse performance in a large sample of OCD patients and healthy control (HC) subjects and to examine the relation between neuropsychological performance in IGT and the OCD symptoms heterogeneity. Binary data from the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale collected on a large sample of OCD patients were analyzed using a multidimensional item response theory model to explore the underlying structure of data, thus revealing latent factors. Factor scores were categorized into quartiles. Then, for each factor, we identified patients respectively with the highest versus lowest score. We evaluated whether symptom dimensions affect the probability of a correct answer over time generalized, during IGT performance, fitting a generalized linear mixed model. We found a general deficit in ambiguous decision-making in OCD compared to HC. Moreover, our findings suggested that OCD symptoms heterogeneity affects decision-making learning abilities during IGT. In fact, while 'Symmetry' and 'Washing' patients showed a learning curve during the task, other subgroups did not. Our study confirmed previous findings suggesting that OCD is characterized by a deficit in decision-making under uncertainty. Moreover, our study gave evidence about biological specificity for each symptom dimension in OCD. Data were discussed in the context of the somatic marker hypothesis, which was hypothesized to be reduced in OCD patients. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  3. Deep brain stimulation for severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open-label case series.

    PubMed

    Farrand, Sarah; Evans, Andrew H; Mangelsdorf, Simone; Loi, Samantha M; Mocellin, Ramon; Borham, Adam; Bevilacqua, JoAnne; Blair-West, Scott; Walterfang, Mark A; Bittar, Richard G; Velakoulis, Dennis

    2017-09-01

    Deep brain stimulation can be of benefit in carefully selected patients with severe intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder. The aim of this paper is to describe the outcomes of the first seven deep brain stimulation procedures for obsessive-compulsive disorder undertaken at the Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital. The primary objective was to assess the response to deep brain stimulation treatment utilising the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale as a measure of symptom severity. Secondary objectives include assessment of depression and anxiety, as well as socio-occupational functioning. Patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder were referred by their treating psychiatrist for assessment of their suitability for deep brain stimulation. Following successful application to the Psychosurgery Review Board, patients proceeded to have deep brain stimulation electrodes implanted in either bilateral nucleus accumbens or bed nucleus of stria terminalis. Clinical assessment and symptom rating scales were undertaken pre- and post-operatively at 6- to 8-week intervals. Rating scales used included the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale. Seven patients referred from four states across Australia underwent deep brain stimulation surgery and were followed for a mean of 31 months (range, 8-54 months). The sample included four females and three males, with a mean age of 46 years (range, 37-59 years) and mean duration of obsessive-compulsive disorder of 25 years (range, 15-38 years) at the time of surgery. The time from first assessment to surgery was on average 18 months. All patients showed improvement on symptom severity rating scales. Three patients showed a full response, defined as greater than 35% improvement in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score, with the remaining showing responses between 7% and 20%. Deep

  4. Scrupulosity: a unique subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Greenberg, David; Huppert, Jonathan D

    2010-08-01

    The earliest descriptions of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were religious, as was the understanding of their origins. With the emancipation, religion in OCD was relegated to its status today: a less common symptom of OCD in most Western societies known as scrupulosity. The frequency of scrupulosity in OCD varies in the literature from 0% to 93% of cases, and this variability seems predicated on the importance of religious belief and observance in the community examined. Despite the similarities between religious ritual and compulsions, the evidence to date that religion increases the risk of the development of OCD is scarce. Scrupulosity is presented as a classic version of OCD, with obsessions and compulsions, distress, and diminished functioning similar to those of other forms of OCD. The differentiation between normal religiosity and scrupulosity is presented, and the unique aspects of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating scrupulosity, especially in religious populations, are reviewed.

  5. Perfectionism and Peer Relations among Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ye, Huan J.; Rice, Kenneth G.; Storch, Eric A.

    2008-01-01

    The study examined perfectionism, symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression, and peer relationships among a clinical sample of 31 youth (age range 7-18 years) diagnosed with OCD. Using a correlational design, perfectionistic beliefs accounted for significant variance in OCD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and difficulties in…

  6. Five-Year Course of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Predictors of Remission and Relapse

    PubMed Central

    Eisen, Jane L.; Sibrava, Nicholas J.; Boisseau, Christina L.; Mancebo, Maria C.; Stout, Robert L.; Pinto, Anthony; Rasmussen, Steven A.

    2014-01-01

    Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous and disabling condition; however, no studies have examined symptom categories or subtypes as predictors of long-term clinical course in adults with primary OCD. Method A total of 213 adults with DSM-IV OCD were recruited from several mental health treatment sites between July 2001 and February 2006 as part of the Brown Longitudinal Obsessive Compulsive Study, a prospective, naturalistic study of treatment-seeking adults with primary OCD. OCD symptoms were assessed annually over the 5-year follow-up period using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation. Results Thirty-nine percent of participants experienced either a partial (22.1%) or a full (16.9%) remission. Two OCD symptom dimensions impacted remission. Participants with primary obsessions regarding overresponsibility for harm were nearly twice as likely to experience a remission (P < .05), whereas only 2 of 21 participants (9.5%) with primary hoarding achieved remission. Other predictors of increased remission were lower OCD severity (P < .0001) and shorter duration of illness (P < .0001). Fifty-nine percent of participants who remitted subsequently relapsed. Participants with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder were more than twice as likely to relapse (P < .005). Participants were also particularly vulnerable to relapse if they experienced partial remission versus full remission (70% vs 45%; P < .05). Conclusions The contributions of OCD symptom categories and comorbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are critically important to advancing our understanding of the prognosis and ultimately the successful treatment of OCD. Longer duration of illness was also found to be a significant predictor of course, highlighting the critical importance of early detection and treatment of OCD. Furthermore, having full remission as a treatment target is an important consideration for the prevention of relapse in this disorder. PMID:23561228

  7. Capacity to Delay Reward Differentiates Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Pinto, Anthony; Steinglass, Joanna E.; Greene, Ashley L.; Weber, Elke U.; Simpson, H. Blair

    2013-01-01

    Background Although the relationship between obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has long been debated, clinical samples of OCD (without OCPD) and OCPD (without OCD) have never been systematically compared. We studied whether individuals with OCD, OCPD, or both conditions differ on symptomatology, functioning, and a measure of self-control: the capacity to delay reward. Methods 25 OCD, 25 OCPD, 25 comorbid OCD+OCPD, and 25 healthy controls (HC) completed clinical assessments and a validated intertemporal choice task that measures capacity to forego small immediate rewards for larger delayed rewards. Results OCD and OCPD subjects both showed impairment in psychosocial functioning and quality of life, as well as compulsive behavior, but only subjects with OCD reported obsessions. Individuals with OCPD, with or without comorbid OCD, discounted the value of delayed monetary rewards significantly less than OCD and HC. This excessive capacity to delay reward discriminates OCPD from OCD, and is associated with perfectionism and rigidity. Conclusions OCD and OCPD are both impairing disorders marked by compulsive behaviors, but they can be differentiated by the presence of obsessions in OCD and by excessive capacity to delay reward in OCPD. That individuals with OCPD show less temporal discounting (suggestive of excessive self-control) whereas prior studies have shown that individuals with substance use disorders show greater discounting (suggestive of impulsivity) supports the premise that this component of self-control lies on a continuum in which both extremes (impulsivity and overcontrol) contribute to psychopathology. PMID:24199665

  8. [An evaluation of some of the relationships between thought-action fusion, attributional styles, and depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms].

    PubMed

    Piri, Serap; Kabakçi, Elif

    2007-01-01

    Thought-action fusion (TAF) is a cognitive bias presumed to underlie the development of obsessional problems. Two domains of TAF have been identified. The first, TAF-moral, is characterized by the belief that having morally unacceptable thoughts is as bad as actually carrying them out. The second, TAF-likelihood, refers to the belief that certain thoughts cause particular events. The event can be related to one's self (likelihood-self) or to someone else (likelihood-others). The other cognitive variable of the study is attributional style. The theory of attributional styles, in terms of the causes of good and bad events, is taken into account especially in the context of depression and has four dimensions: internality-externality, stability-instability, globality-specifity, and importance-unimportance. The first objective of the present study was to investigate the relationships between TAF, and attributional style, and depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The second objective was to determine the predictors of TAF when the effects of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms are statistically controlled. The sample consisted of 312 students randomly selected from different departments at Hacettepe University. The Thought-Action Fusion Scale (TAFS), Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to these students. The correlations among all the subtypes of TAF (TAF-moral, likelihood-self, and likelihood-others), and the global attributions for bad events, BDI, and MOCI were significant. In addition, the correlation between TAF-moral and the importance of the attribution for bad events was significant. TAF-likelihood-others and TAF-likelihood-self were predicted by global attributions for bad events and TAF-moral was predicted by the importance of the attributions for bad events. TAF, and attributional styles, and depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms

  9. The Presentation of Childhood Obsessive--Compulsive Disorder across Home and School Settings: A Preliminary Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sabuncuoglu, Osman; Berkem, Meral

    2006-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the exact pattern of obsessive--compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in children displayed across school and home settings. Twenty-six school children (aged 7 through 17) with OCD were tested using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), the Clinical Global Impression (CGI)--severity subscale and…

  10. Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Wilcox, James Allen

    2014-01-01

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder with considerable morbidity and mortality. This condition disables many individuals and is often refractory to treatment. Research suggests that serotonin plays a role in OCD symptom reduction. We present a case of an individual who successfully used psilocybin, a serotonergic agent, to reduce the core symptoms of OCD for several years. Although not endorsing this form of treatment, we feel that the successful use of this agent highlights the role of serotonergic factors in OCD and the need for further, legitimate research into the value of psilocybin in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

  11. Relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Diaferia, G; Bianchi, I; Bianchi, M L; Cavedini, P; Erzegovesi, S; Bellodi, L

    1997-01-01

    This study investigated the presence of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in a group of 277 patients (88 with obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], 58 with major depressive disorder [MDD], and 131 with panic disorder [Panic]) to test the specificity of the relationship between OCPD and OCD. OCPD is statistically significantly more frequent in patients with OCD than in those with Panic and MDD. The distribution of single criteria of OCPD in the three groups does not differ significantly. Discriminant analysis selects a list of items that provide a correct classification rate of 66% based on OCPD criteria selected by canonical function. OCD patients with and without OCPD do not differ in sex, age of onset, duration of illness, positive family history for Tics disorder/Tourette syndrome (TS), or morbidity risk for OCD.

  12. Memory and executive functions in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Vandborg, Sanne Kjær; Hartmann, Tue Borst; Bennedsen, Birgit Egedal; Pedersen, Anders Degn; Thomsen, Per Hove

    2014-03-01

    We investigated whether patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder have poorer memory and executive functions than healthy controls. The relatively inconsistent previous findings on this question reflect a lack of well-matched control groups, the inclusion of patients with comorbidity, and the use of noncomparable neuropsychological tests to assess memory and executive functions. We used well-accepted neuropsychological tests of memory and executive functions to assess 42 patients who had obsessive-compulsive disorder without comorbidity, and 42 healthy controls. We matched the patients and controls pairwise by sex, age, and years of education. The patients performed significantly worse than the controls on the Rey Complex Figure Test, which assesses visuospatial memory and organizational skills. This group difference remained after we controlled for age, education, intelligence, and severity of depressive symptoms. The findings indicate that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder may have impaired visuospatial memory and organizational skills, and these impairments should be considered in treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00792038.

  13. Effects of traumatic experiences on obsessive-compulsive and internalizing symptoms: The role of avoidance and mindfulness.

    PubMed

    Kroska, Emily B; Miller, Michelle L; Roche, Anne I; Kroska, Sydney K; O'Hara, Michael W

    2018-01-01

    Trauma exposure is associated with adverse psychological outcomes including anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Adolescence is increasingly recognized as a period of vulnerability for the onset of these types of psychological symptoms. The current study explored the mediating roles of experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes in the association between retrospective reports of childhood trauma and current internalizing and OC symptoms in adolescents. A group of at-risk adolescents (N = 51) and a group of college students (N = 400) reported on childhood trauma, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, anxiety, depressive, and OC symptoms. Mediation analyses were performed to examine the mechanistic roles of avoidance and mindfulness in the association between trauma and internalizing and OC-specific symptoms. In the group of at-risk adolescents, experiential avoidance and mindfulness both significantly mediated the association between childhood trauma and OC symptoms. In the college student sample, experiential avoidance mediated the association between trauma and OC symptoms. Experiential avoidance, as well as the observe, act with awareness, and nonjudgmental facets of mindfulness all significantly mediated the association between trauma and internalizing symptoms. The group of at-risk adolescents was small, and the college student group was demographically homogeneous. All data was self-report and cross-sectional. The current study demonstrated that experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes may be the mechanisms through which the association between trauma and obsessive-compulsive and trauma and internalizing symptoms exist in adolescents. These findings provide potential targets for clinical intervention to improve outcomes for adolescents who have experienced trauma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effects of Traumatic Experiences on Obsessive-Compulsive and Internalizing Symptoms: The Role of Avoidance and Mindfulness

    PubMed Central

    Kroska, Emily B.; Miller, Michelle L.; Roche, Anne I.; Kroska, Sydney K.; O’Hara, Michael W.

    2017-01-01

    Background Trauma exposure is associated with adverse psychological outcomes including anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Adolescence is increasingly recognized as a period of vulnerability for the onset of these types of psychological symptoms. The current study explored the mediating roles of experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes in the association between retrospective reports of childhood trauma and current internalizing and OC symptoms in adolescents. Method A group of at-risk adolescents (N =51) and a group of college students (N =400) reported on childhood trauma, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, anxiety, depressive, and OC symptoms. Mediation analyses were performed to examine the mechanistic roles of avoidance and mindfulness in the association between trauma and internalizing and OC-specific symptoms. Results In the group of at-risk adolescents, experiential avoidance and mindfulness both significantly mediated the association between childhood trauma and OC symptoms. In the college student sample, experiential avoidance mediated the association between trauma and OC symptoms. Experiential avoidance, as well as the observe, act with awareness, and nonjudgmental facets of mindfulness all significantly mediated the association between trauma and internalizing symptoms. Limitations The group of at-risk adolescents was small, and the college student group was demographically homogeneous. All data was self-report and cross-sectional. Conclusion The current study demonstrated that experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes may be the mechanisms through which the association between trauma and obsessive-compulsive and trauma and internalizing symptoms exist in adolescents. These findings provide potential targets for clinical intervention to improve outcomes for adolescents who have experienced trauma. PMID:28843915

  15. Worry and Rumination in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Dar, Kaiser A; Iqbal, Naved

    2015-01-01

    Ample work has already been conducted on worry and rumination as negative thought processes involved in the etiology of most of the anxiety and mood related disorders. However, minimal effort has been exerted to investigate whether one type of negative thought process can make way for another type of negative thought process, and if so, how it subsequently results in experiencing a host of symptoms reflective of one or the other type of psychological distress. Therefore, the present study was taken up to investigate whether rumination mediates the relationship between worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and between worry and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in two clinical groups. Self-report questionnaires tapping worry, rumination, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) were administered to a clinical sample of 60 patients aged 30-40. Worry, rumination, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) correlated substantially with each other, however, rumination did not mediate the relationship between worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and between worry and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We also analyzed differences of outcome variables within two clinical groups. These results showed that worry and rumination were significantly different between GAD and OCD groups.

  16. Comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Insight into Pathomechanisms Facilitates Treatment

    PubMed Central

    Zink, Mathias

    2014-01-01

    Insight into the biological pathomechanism of a clinical syndrome facilitates the development of effective interventions. This paper applies this perspective to the important clinical problem of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) occurring during the lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia. Up to 25% of schizophrenia patients suffer from OCS and about 12% fulfil the diagnostic criteria of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This is accompanied by marked subjective burden of disease, high levels of anxiety, depression and suicidality, increased neurocognitive impairment, less favourable levels of social and vocational functioning, and greater service utilization. Comorbid patients can be assigned to heterogeneous subgroups. It is assumed that second generation antipsychotics (SGAs), most importantly clozapine, might aggravate or even induce second-onset OCS. Several epidemiological and pharmacological arguments support this assumption. Specific genetic risk factors seem to dispose patients with schizophrenia to develop OCS and risk-conferring polymorphisms has been defined in SLC1A1, BDNF, DLGAP3, and GRIN2B and in interactions between these individual genes. Further research is needed with detailed characterization of large samples. In particular interactions between genetic risk constellations, pharmacological and psychosocial factors should be analysed. Results will further define homogeneous subgroups, which are in need for differential causative interventions. In clinical practise, schizophrenia patients should be carefully monitored for OCS, starting with at-risk mental states of psychosis and longitudinal follow-ups, hopefully leading to the development of multimodal therapeutic interventions. PMID:26556409

  17. Potential role of anticonvulsants in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hee Ryung; Woo, Young Sup; Bahk, Won-Myong

    2014-10-01

    We reviewed the extant literature to evaluate the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of anticonvulsants in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Relevant literature was accessed using the Cochrane database, embase and PubMed on 29 October 2013. Prospective studies examining the efficacy of anticonvulsants in obsessive-compulsive and related disorders were included. Case reports, case series, and retrospective studies were excluded. A total of 10 studies were included in this review. The studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder, except for two negative studies, showed favorable efficacy results of anticonvulsants. In one study on body dysmorphic disorder, levetiracetam showed favorable efficacy. In two lamotrigine studies for pathologic skin-picking, the efficacy findings were inconsistent. In one trichotillomania study, topiramate had reduced hair-pulling symptoms. Despite limited evidence, our review suggests that anticonvulsants have a potential role in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  18. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder as a predictor of exposure and ritual prevention outcome for obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Anthony; Liebowitz, Michael R; Foa, Edna B; Simpson, H Blair

    2011-08-01

    Despite elevated rates of obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), no study has specifically examined comorbid OCPD as a predictor of exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP) outcome. Participants were adult outpatients (n = 49) with primary OCD and a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) total score ≥ 16 despite a therapeutic serotonin reuptake inhibitor dose for at least 12 weeks prior to entry. Participants received 17 sessions of EX/RP over 8 weeks. OCD severity was assessed with the YBOCS pre- and post-treatment by independent evaluators. At baseline, 34.7% of the OCD sample met criteria for comorbid DSM-IV OCPD, assessed by structured interview. OCPD was tested as a predictor of outcome both as a diagnostic category and as a dimensional score (severity) based on the total number of OCPD symptoms coded as present and clinically significant at baseline. Both OCPD diagnosis and greater OCPD severity predicted worse EX/RP outcome, controlling for baseline OCD severity, Axis I and II comorbidity, prior treatment, quality of life, and gender. When the individual OCPD criteria were tested separately, only perfectionism predicted worse treatment outcome, over and above the previously mentioned covariates. These findings highlight the importance of assessing OCPD and suggest a need to directly address OCPD-related traits, especially perfectionism, in the context of EX/RP to minimize their interference in outcome. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder as a Predictor of Exposure and Ritual Prevention Outcome for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Pinto, Anthony; Liebowitz, Michael R.; Foa, Edna B.; Simpson, H. Blair

    2011-01-01

    Despite elevated rates of obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), no study has specifically examined comorbid OCPD as a predictor of exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP) outcome. Participants were adult outpatients (n = 49) with primary OCD and a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) total score ≥ 16 despite a therapeutic serotonin reuptake inhibitor dose for at least 12 weeks prior to entry. Participants received 17 sessions of EX/RP over 8 weeks. OCD severity was assessed with the YBOCS pre- and post-treatment by independent evaluators. At baseline, 34.7% of the OCD sample met criteria for comorbid DSM-IV OCPD, assessed by structured interview. OCPD was tested as a predictor of outcome both as a diagnostic category and as a dimensional score (severity) based on the total number of OCPD symptoms coded as present and clinically significant at baseline. Both OCPD diagnosis and greater OCPD severity predicted worse EX/RP outcome, controlling for baseline OCD severity, Axis I and II comorbidity, prior treatment, quality of life, and gender. When the individual OCPD criteria were tested separately, only perfectionism predicted worse treatment outcome, over and above the previously mentioned covariates. These findings highlight the importance of assessing OCPD and suggest a need to directly address OCPD-related traits, especially perfectionism, in the context of EX/RP to minimize their interference in outcome. PMID:21600563

  20. [Effect of religious culture on obsessive compulsive disorder symptomatology. A transcultural study in monotheistic religions].

    PubMed

    de Bilbao, Fabienne; Giannakopoulos, Pantéléimon

    2005-11-30

    Effect of religious culture on obsessive Cultural factors may influence the nature of obsessions and compulsions associated with the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this review is to evaluate the effect of religious upbringing on OCD symptoms. In fact, a variety of symptoms related to religious thoughts are more prevalent in clinical populations from countries in which religion is at the central core of the society, particularly in Muslim and Jewish Middle Eastern cultures, as compared with clinical populations from the West. These findings suggest that clinicians should be sensitive to the fact that religious obsessions may be more prevalent in certain cultures with which they may not be well acquainted.

  1. Vacation effects on behaviour, cognition and emotions of compulsive and non-compulsive workers: do obsessive workers go 'cold turkey'?

    PubMed

    de Bloom, Jessica; Radstaak, Mirjam; Geurts, Sabine

    2014-08-01

    Compulsive workers often face psychological and physical health disturbances because of working long hours and an obsessive preoccupation with work during off-job time. Prolonged respite episodes may either relief these employees from their daily stressors to recover or trigger withdrawal symptoms. Our research question was as follows: How do (1) work hours, (2) rumination and (3) affective well-being unfold for compulsive workers compared with non-compulsive workers across long vacations? In a longitudinal field study, work hours, rumination and affective well-being were assessed in 54 employees 2 weeks before, during and in the first, second and fourth week after a long summer vacation. Working compulsively was assessed 3 weeks before vacation. Work hours decreased during and increased after vacation. Levels of rumination dropped during vacation and remained below baseline until 2 weeks after vacation. Initial differences in rumination between obsessive and non-obsessive workers disappeared during and directly after vacation. Affective well-being rose during vacation and returned to baseline directly after vacation. Increases in affective well-being during vacation as well as decreases after vacation were greater in obsessive workers than in non-obsessive workers. Vacations seem to temporarily offset characteristic differences between obsessive and non-obsessive workers, decrease rumination and improve affective well-being. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Evaluation of the reported association of obsessive-compulsive symptoms or disorder with Tourette's disorder.

    PubMed

    Shapiro, A K; Shapiro, E

    1992-01-01

    This review evaluates the evidence reporting an association of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with Tourette's syndrome or disorder (TS). Published reports in the literature describing a relationship between OCS-OCD and TS provided the data for the review. The methodological adequacy of the studies are discussed and rated on five criteria: adequacy of the experimental sample, presence and adequacy of the control sample, whether tics are defined as OCS-OCD, whether blind procedures are used to diagnose OCS-OCD in subjects and controls, and evidence for the reliability and validity of OCS-OCD measures. Although there are considerable clinical indications suggesting an association of OCS-OCD with TS and chronic motor tic disorder (CMT), and a possible overlap between OSC-OCD and TS, our evaluation of the evidence does not provide adequate support for an association between these disorders. To meaningfully evaluate the possible relationship between OCS-OCD and TS requires development of specific criteria for classification of OCS-OCD-TS symptoms, use of adequate experimental and control samples, blind evaluation, reliable and valid measures of OCS-OCD-TS, and appropriate statistical analysis. If such studies are performed, it is possible that the strong relationship reported between OCS-OCD and TS is more likely to be artifact than fact, and recent bandwagon effect rather than the latest breakthrough.

  3. Capacity to delay reward differentiates obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Anthony; Steinglass, Joanna E; Greene, Ashley L; Weber, Elke U; Simpson, H Blair

    2014-04-15

    Although the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has long been debated, clinical samples of OCD (without OCPD) and OCPD (without OCD) have never been systematically compared. We studied whether individuals with OCD, OCPD, or both conditions differ on symptomatology, functioning, and a measure of self-control: the capacity to delay reward. Twenty-five OCD, 25 OCPD, 25 comorbid OCD + OCPD, and 25 healthy control subjects completed clinical assessments and a validated intertemporal choice task that measures capacity to forego small immediate rewards for larger delayed rewards. OCD and OCPD subjects both showed impairment in psychosocial functioning and quality of life, as well as compulsive behavior, but only subjects with OCD reported obsessions. Individuals with OCPD, with or without comorbid OCD, discounted the value of delayed monetary rewards significantly less than OCD and healthy control subjects. This excessive capacity to delay reward discriminates OCPD from OCD and is associated with perfectionism and rigidity. OCD and OCPD are both impairing disorders marked by compulsive behaviors, but they can be differentiated by the presence of obsessions in OCD and by excessive capacity to delay reward in OCPD. That individuals with OCPD show less temporal discounting (suggestive of excessive self-control), whereas prior studies have shown that individuals with substance use disorders show greater discounting (suggestive of impulsivity), supports the premise that this component of self-control lies on a continuum in which both extremes (impulsivity and overcontrol) contribute to psychopathology. © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry Published by Society of Biological Psychiatry All rights reserved.

  4. Excessive nest building is a unique behavioural phenotype in the deer mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Wolmarans, De Wet; Stein, Dan J; Harvey, Brian H

    2016-09-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a phenotypically heterogeneous condition characterised by time-consuming intrusive thoughts and/or compulsions. Irrespective of the symptom type diagnosed, the severity of OCD is characterised by heterogeneity in symptom presentation that complicates diagnosis and treatment. Heterogeneity of symptoms would be invaluable in an animal model. Nest building behaviour forms part of the normal behavioural repertoire of rodents and demonstrates profound between-species differences. However, it has been proposed that within-species differences in nest building behaviour (i.e. aberrant vs. normal nest building) may resemble obsessive-compulsive-like symptoms. In an attempt to investigate whether other obsessive-compulsive-like behaviours are present in an animal model of OCD, or if aberrant nest building behaviour may represent a unique obsessive-compulsive phenotype in such a model, the current study assessed nest building behaviour in high (H, viz obsessive-compulsive) and non (N, viz normal) stereotypical deer mice. Subsequently, 12 N and H animals, respectively, were provided with an excess of cotton wool daily for one week prior to and following four weeks of high-dose oral escitalopram treatment (50 mg/kg/day). Data from the current investigation demonstrate daily nesting activity to be highly variable in deer mice, with stereotypy and nest building being independent behaviours. However, we identified unique aberrant large nest building behaviour in 30% of animals from both cohorts that was attenuated by escitalopram to pre-treatment nesting scores of the larger group. In summary, behavioural and drug-treatment evidence confirms that deer mouse behaviour does indeed resemble symptom heterogeneity related to OCD, and as such expands its face and predictive validity for the disorder. © The Author(s) 2016.

  5. Efficacy of Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Washer with Poor Insight: A Case Study and Literature Review

    PubMed Central

    Maqbool, Masood; Sengar, K. S.; Vikas; Kumar, Mohit; Uparikar, Premkant Damodhar

    2017-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Treatment usually consists of serotonergic medications along with exposure therapies. Danger ideation reduction therapy (DIRT) is an alternative therapy predominantly for washing compulsions and focuses on reduction of danger ideations. DIRT was tried on Ms. S. with a history of OCD for 15 years and improvement was noticed on Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Padua Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale after 15 sessions of DIRT though she was not fully symptom-free. Thus, DIRT was found to improve OCD symptoms and improved her insight into illness. PMID:28852254

  6. The Impact of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Olivia M; Salkovskis, Paul M; Bream, Victoria

    2016-07-01

    It is often suggested that, in general, co-morbid personality disorders are likely to interfere with CBT based treatment of Axis I disorders, given that personality disorders are regarded as dispositional and are therefore considered less amenable to change than axis I psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) on cognitive-behavioural treatment for OCD. 92 individuals with a diagnosis of OCD participated in this study. Data were drawn from measures taken at initial assessment and following cognitive-behavioural treatment at a specialist treatment centre for anxiety disorders. At assessment, participants with OCD and OCPD had greater overall OCD symptom severity, as well as doubting, ordering and hoarding symptoms relative to those without OCPD; however, participants with co-morbid OCD and OCPD demonstrated greater treatment gains in terms of OCD severity, checking and ordering than those without OCPD. Individuals with OCD and OCPD had higher levels of checking, ordering and overall OCD severity at initial assessment; however, at post-treatment they had similar scores to those without OCPD. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of research on axis I and II co-morbidity and the impact of axis II disorders on treatment for axis I disorders.

  7. The correlates of obsessive-compulsive, schizotypal, and borderline personality disorders in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Melca, Isabela A; Yücel, Murat; Mendlowicz, Mauro V; de Oliveira-Souza, Ricardo; Fontenelle, Leonardo F

    2015-06-01

    We assessed correlates of obsessive-compulsive (OCPD), schizotypal (SPD) and borderline (BPD) personality disorders in 110 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. We found OCD patients with OCPD (20.9%) to exhibit higher rates of hoarding and bipolar disorders, increased severity of hoarding and symmetry, lower prevalence of unacceptable thoughts involving sex and religion and less non-planning impulsivity. Conversely, OCD patients with SPD (13.6%) displayed more frequently bipolar disorder, increased severity of depression and OCD neutralization, greater prevalence of "low-order" behaviors (i.e., touching), lower low-planning impulsivity and greater "behavioral" compulsivity. Finally, in exploratory analyses, OCD patients with BPD (21.8%) exhibited lower education, higher rates of several comorbid psychiatric disorders, greater frequency of compulsions involving interpersonal domains (e.g. reassurance seeking), increased severity of depression, anxiety and OCD dimensions other than symmetry and hoarding, more motor and non-planning impulsivity, and greater "cognitive" compulsivity. These findings highlight the importance of assessing personality disorders in OCD samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment in Patients with Down Syndrome: A Case Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutor, Bruce; Hansen, Mark R.; Black, John L.

    2006-01-01

    In this case series we report four cases of patients with Down syndrome with symptoms consistent with obsessive compulsive disorder. Each patient experienced substantial reduction in compulsive behaviors with pharmacotherapy of an SSRI alone or with the addition of risperidone to SSRI therapy. None of the patients experienced significant side…

  9. Schedule-induced polydipsia: a rat model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Platt, Brian; Beyer, Chad E; Schechter, Lee E; Rosenzweig-Lipson, Sharon

    2008-04-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is difficult to model in animals due to the involvement of both mental (obsessions) and physical (compulsions) symptoms. Due to limitations of using animals to evaluate obsessions, OCD models are limited to evaluation of the compulsive and repetitive behaviors of animals. Of these, models of adjunctive behaviors offer the most value in regard to predicting efficacy of anti-OCD drugs in the clinic. Adjunctive behaviors are those that are maintained indirectly by the variables that control another behavior, rather than directly by their own typical controlling variables. Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) is an adjunctive model in which rats exhibit exaggerated drinking behavior (polydipsia) when presented with food pellets under a fixed-time schedule. The polydipsic response is an excessive manifestation of a normal behavior (drinking), providing face validity to the model. Furthermore, clinically effective drugs for the treatment of OCD decrease SIP. This protocol describes a rat SIP model of OCD and provides preclinical data for drugs that decrease polydipsia and are clinically effective in the treatment of OCD.

  10. Depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in relation to nutritional status and outcome in severe anorexia nervosa.

    PubMed

    Mattar, Lama; Thiébaud, Marie-Raphaele; Huas, Caroline; Cebula, Christelle; Godart, Nathalie

    2012-12-30

    Depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder are frequently reported to co-occur with anorexia nervosa (AN). There is clinical consensus that depressive symptoms and anxiety may in part be sequelae of malnutrition in AN. However, evidence-based data are still very rare. The present study among severe AN patients investigates links between these psychological variants and nutritional status at admission and subsequent to nutritional rehabilitation. Twenty-four women with AN diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) were included prospectively and consecutively at hospitalisation. Nutritional status was assessed by body mass index (BMI). Several psychological aspects were assessed using various scales for depression, anxiety, social phobia, obsessive and eating behaviour symptoms. Follow-up weights and heights at 4-12 years after hospital discharge were measured in 18 patients. BMI and all the scores except the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) showed significant improvement between admission and discharge. This study highlights the fact that some of the depressive and anxiety symptoms at least partially decrease with nutrition rehabilitation. The improvement in the scores on the psychometric scales between admission and discharge was not correlated with BMI improvement. Psychometric scores at admission and at discharge were not correlated with BMI at follow-up. BMI at follow-up was correlated with minimum lifetime BMI (r=0.486, P=0.04). Future studies should use a better indicator for nutritional status than BMI alone, and should also consider the initial degree of weight loss and the rate at which weight was lost. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Interpersonal functioning in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

    PubMed

    Cain, Nicole M; Ansell, Emily B; Simpson, H Blair; Pinto, Anthony

    2015-01-01

    The core symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) often lead to interpersonal difficulties. However, little research has explored interpersonal functioning in OCPD. This study examined interpersonal problems, interpersonal sensitivities, empathy, and systemizing, the drive to analyze and derive underlying rules for systems, in a sample of 25 OCPD individuals, 25 individuals with comorbid OCPD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 25 healthy controls. We found that OCPD individuals reported hostile-dominant interpersonal problems and sensitivities with warm-dominant behavior by others, whereas OCPD+OCD individuals reported submissive interpersonal problems and sensitivities with warm-submissive behavior by others. Individuals with OCPD, with and without OCD, reported less empathic perspective taking relative to healthy controls. Finally, we found that OCPD males reported a higher drive to analyze and derive rules for systems than OCPD females. Overall, results suggest that there are interpersonal deficits associated with OCPD and the clinical implications of these deficits are discussed.

  12. Interpersonal Functioning in Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Cain, Nicole M.; Ansell, Emily B.; Simpson, H. Blair; Pinto, Anthony

    2014-01-01

    The core symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) often lead to interpersonal difficulties. However, little research has explored interpersonal functioning in OCPD. The current study examined interpersonal problems, interpersonal sensitivities, empathy, and systemizing, the drive to analyze and derive underlying rules for systems, in a sample of 25 OCPD individuals, 25 individuals with comorbid OCPD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 25 healthy controls. We found that OCPD individuals reported hostile-dominant interpersonal problems and sensitivities with warm-dominant behavior by others while OCPD+OCD individuals reported submissive interpersonal problems and sensitivities with warm-submissive behavior by others. Individuals with OCPD, with and without OCD, reported less empathic perspective taking relative to healthy controls. Finally, we found that OCPD males reported a higher drive to analyze and derive rules for systems than OCPD females. Overall, results suggest that there are interpersonal deficits associated with OCPD and the clinical implications of these deficits are discussed. PMID:25046040

  13. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Prader-Willi and "Prader-Willi-Like" patients.

    PubMed

    State, M W; Dykens, E M; Rosner, B; Martin, A; King, B H

    1999-03-01

    To compare obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and symptoms in a group of patients presenting with "Prader-Willi-like" features but without the genetic abnormalities associated with PWS. 16 patients aged 4 through 20 years were evaluated in a clinic specializing in the assessment and management of behavioral and food-related problems in PWS. Eight patients were found to have key features of the syndrome but did not have a PWS genotype. These PWS-like subjects were matched to 8 clinic patients with a confirmed deletion of the PWS critical region of the paternally derived chromosome 15. All subjects were evaluated for obesity, IQ, food-related problems, maladaptive behaviors, and non-food-related OC symptoms. There were no differences between the 2 groups with respect to measures of obesity, IQ, food-related difficulties, or overall maladaptive behaviors. The PWS group showed significantly greater numbers of OC symptoms and greater symptom severity. Patients with PWS have elevated numbers of OC symptoms and significant symptom-related impairment which are not explained by developmental delay, food-related difficulties, or obesity. OC symptoms are part of a behavioral phenotype that accompanies deletions on the proximal long arm of chromosome 15 in PWS.

  14. The Obsessive Compulsive Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist Predicts Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudziak, James J.; Althoff, Robert R.; Stanger, Catherine; van Beijsterveldt, C. E. M.; Nelson, Elliot C.; Hanna, Gregory L.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Todd, Richard D.

    2006-01-01

    Background: The purpose of this study was to determine a score on the Obsessive Compulsive Scale (OCS) from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to screen for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and to rigorously test the specificity and sensitivity of a single cutpoint. Methods: A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis…

  15. Attachment Style and Resiliency in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Zakiei, Ali; Farnia, Vahid; Khkian, Zinab; Shakeri, Jalal; Golshani, Sanobar

    2017-01-01

    Background The goal of the present study was to determine the relationships between attachment styles and resiliency in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Methods A random sample of 260 subjects was obtained from the population of undergraduate students of the Nour Branch of Islamic Azad University, which is located in Mazandaran, and these subjects were enrolled in this descriptive and correlational study. The collected data included the subjects' responses to an adult attachment style questionnaire, resilience scale, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder questionnaire. The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient indices and multiple regressions. Results The results of the data analysis showed a positive correlation (relationship) between ambivalent/avoidant attachment styles and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and a negative correlation between resilience and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Furthermore, these results demonstrated that attachment style and resiliency can predict obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. In addition, no significant relationships were found between the demographic variables (convertibles) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Conclusion These results suggested that attachment style and resiliency contribute to the development of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. PMID:28197331

  16. Attachment Style and Resiliency in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.

    PubMed

    Zakiei, Ali; Alikhani, Mostafa; Farnia, Vahid; Khkian, Zinab; Shakeri, Jalal; Golshani, Sanobar

    2017-01-01

    The goal of the present study was to determine the relationships between attachment styles and resiliency in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. A random sample of 260 subjects was obtained from the population of undergraduate students of the Nour Branch of Islamic Azad University, which is located in Mazandaran, and these subjects were enrolled in this descriptive and correlational study. The collected data included the subjects' responses to an adult attachment style questionnaire, resilience scale, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder questionnaire. The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient indices and multiple regressions. The results of the data analysis showed a positive correlation (relationship) between ambivalent/avoidant attachment styles and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and a negative correlation between resilience and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Furthermore, these results demonstrated that attachment style and resiliency can predict obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. In addition, no significant relationships were found between the demographic variables (convertibles) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. These results suggested that attachment style and resiliency contribute to the development of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

  17. Personality traits in subclinical and non-obsessive-compulsive volunteers and their parents.

    PubMed

    Frost, R O; Steketee, G; Cohn, L; Griess, K

    1994-01-01

    Theorists from a variety of perspectives have asserted that obsessive compulsives are more risk-aversive, perfectionistic and guilt-ridden than non-obsessive compulsives, and that these characteristics are central features of the disorder. Furthermore, several have hypothesized that the parents of obsessive compulsives are characterized by risk-aversion, perfectionism, and high levels of criticism. Little research exists which corroborates these hypotheses, however. The present investigation examined these hypotheses among subclinical obsessive compulsives. In two different samples, subclinical obsessive compulsives were found to be more risk-aversive, perfectionistic, and guilt-ridden. Subclinical obsessive compulsives also perceived their parents to be more overprotective. The findings regarding other parental traits were less clear. There was some support for the hypothesis that the parents of subclinical obsessive compulsives are more risk-aversive, and that fathers are more critical and perfectionistic.

  18. Hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic correlates.

    PubMed

    Lochner, Christine; Kinnear, Craig J; Hemmings, Sian M J; Seller, Cathlene; Niehaus, Dana J H; Knowles, James A; Daniels, Willie; Moolman-Smook, Johanna C; Seedat, Soraya; Stein, Dan J

    2005-09-01

    Hoarding may be an important symptom dimension in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Hoarding in OCD has been associated with poor insight, poorer response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors than other OCD symptom dimensions, and a distinctive psychobiological profile. The clinical and genetic correlates of hoarding in OCD therefore deserve additional investigation. Adult OCD patients (N = 315) underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment that included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (Patient Edition) and for Diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. DNA extracted from venous blood (10-30 mL) in a Caucasian subset of the interviewed OCD patients (N = 204) and Caucasian controls (N = 169), including patients (N = 94) and controls (N = 138) of Afrikaner descent, was genotyped to investigate polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function and previously hypothesized to be relevant to OCD. Data were collected from 1998 through 2004. OCD patients with hoarding made up 18.1% of the total sample. Compared with nonhoarding OCD, OCD with hoarding was associated with a number of comorbid Axis I disorders, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, significantly higher OCD severity scores, and more functional impairment. In subjects of Afrikaner descent, the L/L genotype of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism was significantly more common in the OCD hoarding group, with a preponderance of low activity alleles, compared with nonhoarding patients and controls. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that hoarding represents a unique symptom subtype in OCD with a distinctive clinical and psychobiological profile. Further work is needed to determine the psychobiological mechanisms responsible for hoarding and to replicate the genetic findings noted here.

  19. Altered inhibition-related frontolimbic connectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    van Velzen, Laura S; de Wit, Stella J; Ćurĉić-Blake, Branislava; Cath, Daniëlle C; de Vries, Froukje E; Veltman, Dick J; van der Werf, Ysbrand D; van den Heuvel, Odile A

    2015-10-01

    Recent studies have shown that response inhibition is impaired in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and their unaffected siblings, suggesting that these deficits may be considered a cognitive endophenotype of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Structural and functional neural correlates of altered response inhibition have been identified in patients and siblings. This study aims to examine the functional integrity of the response inhibition network in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and their unaffected siblings. Forty-one unmedicated patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, 17 of their unaffected siblings and 37 healthy controls performed a stop signal task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Psycho-physiological interaction analysis was used to examine functional connectivity between the following regions of interest: the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, presupplementary motor area, subthalamic nuclei, inferior parietal lobes, anterior cingulate cortex, and amygdala. We then used dynamic causal modeling to investigate the directionality of the networks involved. Patients, and to a lesser extent also their unaffected siblings, show altered connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and the amygdala during response inhibition. The follow-up dynamic causal modeling suggests a bottom-up influence of the amygdala on the inferior frontal gyrus in healthy controls, whereas processing occurs top-down in patients with obsessive-compulsive, and in both directions in siblings. Our findings suggest that amygdala activation in obsessive-compulsive disorder interferes differently with the task-related recruitment of the inhibition network, underscoring the role of limbic disturbances in cognitive dysfunctions in obsessive-compulsive disorder. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Cluster analysis of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic correlates.

    PubMed

    Lochner, Christine; Hemmings, Sian M J; Kinnear, Craig J; Niehaus, Dana J H; Nel, Daniel G; Corfield, Valerie A; Moolman-Smook, Johanna C; Seedat, Soraya; Stein, Dan J

    2005-01-01

    Comorbidity of certain obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs; such as Tourette's disorder) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may serve to define important OCD subtypes characterized by differing phenomenology and neurobiological mechanisms. Comorbidity of the putative OCSDs in OCD has, however, not often been systematically investigated. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition , Axis I Disorders-Patient Version as well as a Structured Clinical Interview for Putative OCSDs (SCID-OCSD) were administered to 210 adult patients with OCD (N = 210, 102 men and 108 women; mean age, 35.7 +/- 13.3). A subset of Caucasian subjects (with OCD, n = 171; control subjects, n = 168), including subjects from the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population (with OCD, n = 77; control subjects, n = 144), was genotyped for polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function. Because the items of the SCID-OCSD are binary (present/absent), a cluster analysis (Ward's method) using the items of SCID-OCSD was conducted. The association of identified clusters with demographic variables (age, gender), clinical variables (age of onset, obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and dimensions, level of insight, temperament/character, treatment response), and monoaminergic genotypes was examined. Cluster analysis of the OCSDs in our sample of patients with OCD identified 3 separate clusters at a 1.1 linkage distance level. The 3 clusters were named as follows: (1) "reward deficiency" (including trichotillomania, Tourette's disorder, pathological gambling, and hypersexual disorder), (2) "impulsivity" (including compulsive shopping, kleptomania, eating disorders, self-injury, and intermittent explosive disorder), and (3) "somatic" (including body dysmorphic disorder and hypochondriasis). Several significant associations were found between cluster scores and other variables; for example, cluster I scores were associated

  1. Relationship between childhood trauma and suicide probability in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Ay, Rukiye; Erbay, Lale Gonenir

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between childhood trauma with the probability of suicide in obsessive compulsive disorders. Sixty-seven patients who were diagnosed with OCD were included in the study out of the patients who were admitted to Malatya Training and Research Hospital psychiatry outpatient clinic. The research data were collected using Yale Brawn Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Beck Depression (BDS) and Beck Anxiety Scales (BAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28 (CTQ-28), and Suicide Probability Scale (SPS). CTQ was detected as ≥ 35 in 36 of 67 patients who were included in the study. Aggression (p = 0.003), sexual (p = 0.007) and religious (p = 0.023) obsessions and rituelistic (p = 0.000) compulsions were significantly higher in the group with CTQ ≥ 35. Mild correlation was detected between the SPS score and the scores of CTQ. Correlation remained even when the effect of BAS and BDS scores were excluded. At the end of our study, childhood traumas were found to be associated with obsessive symptoms. In the group with childhood trauma, increased suicide probability was detected independently from depression and anxiety. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. The Sense of Incompleteness as a Motivator of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: An Empirical Analysis of Concepts and Correlates

    PubMed Central

    Taylor, Steven; McKay, Dean; Crowe, Katherine B.; Abramowitz, Jonathan S.; Conelea, Christine A.; Calamari, John E.; Sica, Claudio

    2014-01-01

    Contemporary models of obsessive-compulsive disorder emphasize the importance of harm avoidance (HA) and related dysfunctional beliefs as motivators of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in Janet’s (1908) concept of incompleteness (INC) as another potentially important motivator. Contemporary investigators define INC as the sense that one’s actions, intentions, or experiences have not been properly achieved. Janet defined INC more broadly to include alexithymia, depersonalization, derealization, and impaired psychological mindedness. We conducted two studies to address four issues: (a) the clinical correlates of INC; (b) whether INC and HA are distinguishable constructs; (c) whether INC predicts OC symptoms after controlling for HA; and (d) the relative merits of broad versus narrow conceptualizations of INC. Study 1 was a meta-analysis of the clinical correlates of narrowly defined INC (16 studies, N=5,940). INC was correlated with all types of OC symptoms, and was more strongly correlated with OC symptoms than with general distress. Study 2 (N=534 nonclinical participants) showed that: (a) INC and HA were strongly correlated but factor analytically distinguishable; (b) INC statistically predicted all types of OC symptoms even after controlling for HA; and (c) narrow INC was most strongly correlated with OC symptoms whereas broad INC was most strongly correlated with general distress. Although the findings are limited by being correlational in nature, they support the hypothesis that INC, especially in its narrow form, is a motivator of OC symptoms. PMID:24491200

  3. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as a Disturbance of Security Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szechtman, Henry; Woody, Erik

    2004-01-01

    The authors hypothesize that the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), despite their apparent nonrationality, have what might be termed an epistemic origin-that is, they stem from an inability to generate the normal "feeling of knowing" that would otherwise signal task completion and terminate the expression of a security motivational…

  4. Understudied Clinical Dimensions in Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewin, Adam B.; Caporino, Nicole; Murphy, Tanya K.; Geffken, Gary R.; Storch, Eric A.

    2010-01-01

    The present study aimed to assess the phenomenology and treatment sensitivity of insight, avoidance, indecisiveness, overvalued responsibility, pervasive slowness, and pathological doubting among youth with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using the ancillary items on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). These factors…

  5. Deep brain stimulation for the obsessive-compulsive and Tourette-like symptoms of Kleefstra syndrome.

    PubMed

    Segar, David J; Chodakiewitz, Yosef G; Torabi, Radmehr; Cosgrove, G Rees

    2015-06-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been reported to have beneficial effects in severe, treatment-refractory cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome (TS). In this report, the authors present the first case in which DBS was used to treat the neuropsychiatric symptoms of Kleefstra syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by childhood hypotonia, intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and myriad psychiatric and behavioral disturbances. A 24-year-old female patient with childhood hypotonia, developmental delay, and diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, OCD, and TS refractory to medical management underwent the placement of bilateral ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) DBS leads, with clinical improvement. Medical providers and family observed gradual and progressive improvement in the patient's compulsive behaviors, coprolalia, speech, and social interaction. Symptoms recurred when both DBS electrodes failed because of lead fracture and dislodgement, although the clinical benefits were restored by lead replacement. The symptomatic and functional improvements observed in this case of VC/VS DBS for Kleefstra syndrome suggest a novel indication for DBS worthy of further investigation.

  6. Streptococcal upper respiratory tract infections and exacerbations of tic and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: A prospective longitudinal study

    PubMed Central

    Leckman, James F.; King, Robert A.; Gilbert, Donald L.; Coffey, Barbara J.; Singer, Harvey S.; Dure, Leon S.; Grantz, Heidi; Katsovich, Liliya; Lin, Haiqun; Lombroso, Paul J.; Kawikova, Ivana; Johnson, Dwight R.; Kurlan, Roger M.; Kaplan, Edward L.

    2010-01-01

    Objective The objective of this blinded, prospective longitudinal study was to determine whether new group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections are temporally associated with exacerbations of tic or obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in children who met published criteria for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS). A group of children with Tourette syndrome and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder without a PANDAS history served as the (non-PANDAS) comparison group. Method Consecutive clinical ratings of tic and OC symptom severity were obtained for 31 PANDAS subjects and 53 non-PANDAS subjects. Clinical symptoms and laboratory values (throat cultures and streptococcal antibody titers) were evaluated at regular intervals during a 25 month period. Additional testing occurred at the time of any tic or OC symptom exacerbation. New GABHS infections were established by throat swab cultures and/or recent significant rise in streptococcal antibodies. Laboratory personnel were blinded to case or control status, clinical (exacerbation or not) condition, and clinical evaluators were blinded to the laboratory results. Results No group differences were observed in either the number of clinical exacerbations or the number of newly diagnosed GABHS infections. On only six occasions out of a total of 51 (12%) a newly diagnosed GABHS infection was followed, within two months, by an exacerbation of tic and/or OC symptoms. In every instance, this association occurred in the non-PANDAS group. Conclusions This study provides no evidence for a temporal association between GABHS infections and tic/OC symptom exacerbations in children who meet the published PANDAS diagnostic criteria. PMID:21241948

  7. White matter structural alterations in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: relation to symptom dimensions.

    PubMed

    Lázaro, L; Ortiz, A G; Calvo, A; Ortiz, A E; Moreno, E; Morer, A; Calvo, R; Bargallo, N

    2014-10-03

    The aims of this study were to identify gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume abnormalities in pediatric obsessive-compulsive patients, to examine their relationship between these abnormalities and the severity of disorder, and to explore whether they could be explained by the different symptom dimensions. 62 child and adolescent OCD patients (11-18years old) and 46 healthy subjects of the same gender and similar age and estimated intellectual quotient were assessed by means of psychopathological scales and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Axial three-dimensional T1-weighted images were obtained in a 3T scanner and analyzed using optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Compared with healthy controls, OCD patients showed lower white matter (WM) volume in the left dorsolateral and cingulate regions involving the superior and middle frontal gyri and anterior cingulate gyrus (t=4.35, p=0.049 FWE (family wise error)-corrected). There was no significant correlation between WM and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. There were no regions with lower gray matter (GM) volume in OCD patients than in controls. Compared with healthy controls, only the "harm/checking" OCD dimension showed a cluster with a near significant decrease in WM volume in the right superior temporal gyrus extending into the insula (t=5.61, p=.056 FWE-corrected). The evidence suggests that abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, temporal and limbic regions play a central role in the pathophysiology of OCD. Moreover, regional brain volumes in OCD may vary depending on specific OCD symptom dimensions, indicating the clinical heterogeneity of the condition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Dream content and intrusive thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Cavallotti, Simone; Casetta, Cecilia; Fanti, Valentina; Gambini, Orsola; Ostinelli, Edoardo G; Ranieri, Rebecca; Vanelli, Irene; D'Agostino, Armando

    2016-10-30

    Although central to any exhaustive theory of human subjectivity, the relationship between dream and waking consciousness remains uncertain. Some findings suggest that dream consciousness can be influenced by severe disorders of thought content. The suppression of unwanted thoughts has been shown to influence dream content in healthy individuals. In order to better define this phenomenon, we evaluated the persistence of obsessive/compulsive themes across the dream and waking cognition of OCD patients and in a control group of healthy subjects. Participants were administered a shortened version of the Thematic Apperception Test to produce a waking fantasy narration, and were trained to keep a dream diary. Dream and waking narrative contents were analyzed in order to recognize obsessive/compulsive themes, and to calculate Mean Dream Obsession/Compulsion (MDO, MDC) and Mean TAT Obsession/Compulsion (MTO, MTC) parameters. No differences were found between the two populations in terms of MDO, MDC, MTO, nor MTC. Density of obsessive and compulsive themes were significantly higher in dream reports than in waking narratives for both groups. No correlation was observed between MDO/MDC scores and Y-BOCS obsession/compulsion scores in the OCD group. These findings strengthen the discontinuity hypothesis, suggesting that ruminative aspects of cognition are somehow interrupted during dream activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Seasonal mood changes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Tan, Oğuz; Metin, Barış; Ünsalver, Barış Önen; Sayar, Gökben Hızlı

    2017-12-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequently associated with mood disorders. However, to date, the co-occurrence of OCD with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has not been investigated. We have aimed to estimate the prevalence of seasonal mood changes in patients with OCD and explore the contribution of seasonality in mood to the severity of OCD. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), the Yale-Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale (Y-BOCS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Items (HDRS-17), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered to patients with OCD (n=104) and controls (n=125). The degree of seasonality was measured by the Global Seasonality Score (GSS) calculated from the SPAQ. SAD and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD) were significantly more prevalent in patients with OCD (53%, n=55) than controls (25%, n=31). When patients were assessed in the season in which SAD occurs, depression and compulsions (but not obsessions, OCD or anxiety) were more severe than those assessed in a season during which SAD does not occur. SAD frequently co-occurs with OCD and, given this co-occurrence, depression symptoms in some patients with OCD might be expected to vary on a seasonal basis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Early onset obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without tics.

    PubMed

    de Mathis, Maria Alice; Diniz, Juliana B; Shavitt, Roseli G; Torres, Albina R; Ferrão, Ygor A; Fossaluza, Victor; Pereira, Carlos; Miguel, Eurípedes; do Rosario, Maria Conceicão

    2009-07-01

    Research suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a unitary entity, but rather a highly heterogeneous condition, with complex and variable clinical manifestations. The aims of this study were to compare clinical and demographic characteristics of OCD patients with early and late age of onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS); and to compare the same features in early onset OCD with and without tics. The independent impact of age at onset and presence of tics on comorbidity patterns was investigated. Three hundred and thirty consecutive outpatients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for OCD were evaluated: 160 patients belonged to the "early onset" group (EOG): before 11 years of age, 75 patients had an "intermediate onset" (IOG), and 95 patients were from the "late onset" group (LOG): after 18 years of age. From the 160 EOG, 60 had comorbidity with tic disorders. The diagnostic instruments used were: the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS), Yale Global Tics Severity Scale, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-patient edition. Statistical tests used were: Mann-Whitney, full Bayesian significance test, and logistic regression. The EOG had a predominance of males, higher frequency of family history of OCS, higher mean scores on the "aggression/violence" and "miscellaneous" dimensions, and higher mean global DY-BOCS scores. Patients with EOG without tic disorders presented higher mean global DY-BOCS scores and higher mean scores in the "contamination/cleaning" dimension. The current results disentangle some of the clinical overlap between early onset OCD with and without tics.

  11. Fusion or confusion in obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Kieron; Aardema, Frederick

    2003-08-01

    Inferential confusion occurs when a person mistakes an imagined possibility for a real probability and might account for some types of thought-action and other fusions reported in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Inferential confusion could account for the ego-dystonic nature of obsessions and their recurrent nature, since the person acts "as if" an imagined aversive inference is probable and tries unsuccessfully to modify this imaginary probability in reality. The clinical implications of the inferential confusion model focus primarily on the role of the imagination in obsessive-compulsive disorder rather than on cognitive beliefs.

  12. The Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders: recruitment, assessment instruments, methods for the development of multicenter collaborative studies and preliminary results.

    PubMed

    Miguel, Euripedes Constantino; Ferrão, Ygor Arzeno; Rosário, Maria Conceição do; Mathis, Maria Alice de; Torres, Albina Rodrigues; Fontenelle, Leonardo Franklin; Hounie, Ana Gabriela; Shavitt, Roseli Gedanke; Cordioli, Aristides Volpato; Gonzalez, Christina Hojaij; Petribú, Kátia; Diniz, Juliana Belo; Malavazzi, Dante Marino; Torresan, Ricardo C; Raffin, Andréa Litvin; Meyer, Elisabeth; Braga, Daniela T; Borcato, Sonia; Valério, Carolina; Gropo, Luciana N; Prado, Helena da Silva; Perin, Eduardo Alliende; Santos, Sandro Iêgo; Copque, Helen; Borges, Manuela Corrêa; Lopes, Angélica Prazeres; Silva, Elenita D da

    2008-09-01

    To describe the recruitment of patients, assessment instruments, implementation, methods and preliminary results of The Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, which includes seven university sites. This cross-sectional study included a comprehensive clinical assessment including semi-structured interviews (sociodemographic data, medical and psychiatric history, disease course and comorbid psychiatric diagnoses), and instruments to assess obsessive-compulsive (Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale), depressive (Beck Depression Inventory) and anxious (Beck Anxiety Inventory) symptoms, sensory phenomena (Universidade de São Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale), insight (Brown Assessment Beliefs Scale), tics (Yale Global Tics Severity Scale) and quality of life (Medical Outcome Quality of Life Scale Short-form-36 and Social Assessment Scale). The raters' training consisted of watching at least five videotaped interviews and interviewing five patients with an expert researcher before interviewing patients alone. The reliability between all leaders for the most important instruments (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Universidade de São Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale) was measured after six complete interviews. Inter-rater reliability was 96%. By March 2008, 630 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients had been systematically evaluated. Mean age (+/-SE) was 34.7 (+/-0.51), 56.3% were female, and 84.6% Caucasian. The most prevalent obsessive compulsive symptom dimensions were symmetry and contamination. The most common comorbidities were major depression, generalized anxiety and social anxiety disorder. The most common DSM-IV impulsive control disorder was skin picking. The sample was composed mainly by Caucasian individuals, unmarried, with some kind of occupational activity, mean age of 35 years, onset of obsessive-compulsive

  13. The suicidality continuum in a large sample of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients.

    PubMed

    Velloso, P; Piccinato, C; Ferrão, Y; Aliende Perin, E; Cesar, R; Fontenelle, L; Hounie, A G; do Rosário, M C

    2016-10-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a chronic course leading to huge impact in the patient's functioning. Suicidal thoughts and attempts are much more frequent in OCD subjects than once thought before. To empirically investigate whether the suicidal phenomena could be analyzed as a suicidality severity continuum and its association with obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptom dimensions and quality of life (QoL), in a large OCD sample. Cross-sectional study with 548 patients diagnosed with OCD according to the DSM-IV criteria, interviewed in the Brazilian OCD Consortium (C-TOC) sites. Patients were evaluated by OCD experts using standardized instruments including: Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS); Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DYBOCS); Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID); and the SF-36 QoL Health Survey. There were extremely high correlations between all the suicidal phenomena. OCD patients with suicidality had significantly lower QoL, higher severity in the "sexual/religious", "aggression" and "symmetry/ordering" OC symptom dimensions, higher BDI and BA scores and a higher frequency of suicide attempts in a family member. In the regression analysis, the factors that most impacted suicidality were the sexual dimension severity, the SF-36 QoL Mental Health domain, the severity of depressive symptoms and a relative with an attempted suicide history. Suicidality could be analyzed as a severity continuum and patients should be carefully monitored since they present with suicidal ideation. Lower QoL scores, higher scores on the sexual dimension and a family history of suicide attempts should be considered as risk factors for suicidality among OCD patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Rearing practices and impulsivity/hyperactivity symptoms in relation to inflated responsibility and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Smári, Jakob; Martinsson, Davíð Rúrik; Einarsson, Hjalti

    2010-10-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate potential precursors of inflated responsibility (responsibility attitudes) and obsessive-compulsive (OCD) symptoms. It was argued that both parental overprotection and impulsivity, separately and in interaction with each other, contribute to inflated responsibility and OCD symptoms. In a large sample of young adults (N = 570), self-report measures of OCD symptoms (OCI-R), responsibility attitudes (RAS), anxiety/depression (HADS), rearing practices (EMBU), present and past impulsivity/hyperactivity symptoms (IMP/HY) were administered. Overprotection as well as IMP/HY were found to predict OCD symptoms as well as inflated responsibility. Finally, a significant interaction was found between IMP/HY and overprotection with regard to both OCD symptoms and inflated responsibility. This effect reflected that IMP/HY was more strongly related to OCD symptoms and responsibility in people who had not been overprotected than in people who had been. Conversely overprotection was related to OCD symptoms and responsibility in people low but not in people high in IMP/HY. The results seem to indicate that the inadequacy between offer and need for parental control may play a role in the development of OCD symptoms. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

  15. The relation of childhood trauma to suicide ideation in patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder with lifetime suicide attempts.

    PubMed

    Khosravani, Vahid; Kamali, Zoleikha; Jamaati Ardakani, Razieh; Samimi Ardestani, Mehdi

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the relations of childhood trauma (CT) and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptom dimensions to suicide ideation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Seventy OCD outpatients with lifetime suicide attempts and 60 controls were included. Participants completed the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Among OCD patients, 97.1% had current suicide ideation. OCD patients revealed higher scores on CT, suicide ideation, depression and anxiety than controls. The CT history of sexual abuse (SA) and OC symptom dimension of unacceptable thoughts explained suicide ideation. It was concluded that SA and unacceptable thoughts may contribute to high suicidality and have important implications for the assessment and treatment of suicide risk in OCD patients with lifetime suicide attempts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Anxiety disorders. Focus on obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed Central

    Warneke, L.

    1993-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder was once thought to be rare. Recent epidemiologic surveys reveal the lifetime prevalence rate to be as high as 3%. We now have greater understanding of the neurophysiologic and neurochemical basis of this very crippling disorder. Although obsessive-compulsive disorder often starts in adolescence or early adulthood and can last a lifetime, effective treatment enables most patients to lead relatively normal lives. PMID:8348022

  17. The appraisal of intrusive thoughts in relation to obsessional-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Barrera, Terri L; Norton, Peter J

    2011-01-01

    Research has shown that although intrusive thoughts occur universally, the majority of individuals do not view intrusive thoughts as being problematic (Freeston, Ladouceur, Thibodeau, & Gagnon, 1991; Rachman & de Silva, 1978; Salkovskis & Harrison, 1984). Thus, it is not the presence of intrusive thoughts that leads to obsessional problems but rather some other factor that plays a role in the development of abnormal obsessions. According to the cognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) put forth by Salkovskis (1985), the crucial factor that differentiates between individuals with OCD and those without is the individual's appraisal of the naturally occurring intrusive thoughts. This study aimed to test Salkovskis's model by examining the role of cognitive biases (responsibility, thought-action fusion, and thought control) as well as distress in the relationship between intrusive thoughts and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in an undergraduate sample of 326 students. An existing measure of intrusive thoughts (the Revised Obsessional Intrusions Inventory) was modified for this study to include a scale of distress associated with each intrusive thought in addition to the current frequency scale. When the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was used as the measure of OCD symptoms, a significant interaction effect of frequency and distress of intrusive thoughts resulted. Additionally, a significant three-way interaction of Frequency × Distress × Responsibility was found when the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised was used as the measure of OCD symptoms. These results indicate that the appraisal of intrusive thoughts is important in predicting OCD symptoms, thus providing support for Salkovskis's model of OCD.

  18. Obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without bipolar disorder.

    PubMed

    Mahasuar, Rajnarayan; Janardhan Reddy, Y C; Math, Suresh Bada

    2011-08-01

    Bipolar disorder (BD) is often comorbid with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study, we compared clinical profile and course of subjects with a primary diagnosis of OCD with and without BD. We compared 34 subjects with primary diagnosis of OCD with BD and 57 subjects with a diagnosis of OCD without BD. Structured interview schedules, clinical rating scales, and information from clinical charts were utilized to assess patients. OCD with BD was characterized by: (i) an episodic course; (ii) a higher number of depressive episodes, greater suicidality and a higher rate of hospitalization; (iii) fewer pathological doubts and more miscellaneous compulsions; and (iv) poorer insight into obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Episodic course appears to be typical of OCD with BD. Bipolarity has a pathoplastic effect on OCD and it is possible that some forms of OCD and BD are pathophysiologically related. Bipolar OCD is associated with a higher rate of depressive episodes, higher suicidality and more frequent hospitalizations, suggesting greater morbidity. Long-term prospective follow-up studies and studies addressing pathophysiology and genetic basis are needed to understand the complexity of such comorbidity. © 2011 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2011 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  19. Memantine as an Adjuvant Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in Manic Phase of Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

    PubMed

    Sahraian, Ali; Jahromi, Leila Razeghian; Ghanizadeh, Ahmad; Mowla, Arash

    2017-04-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the effects of memantine as an adjuvant treatment for obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) type I, manic phase. In this 16-week double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, 58 patients in the manic phase of BD who had OC symptoms were randomly allocated to receive memantine or placebo plus their routine medications (lithium + olanzapine + clonazepam). The Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Behavior Scale was used to assess the outcomes. Adverse effects were also recorded. Thirty-eight patients (19 in the memantine group and 19 in the placebo group) completed the trial. Throughout the trial, the mean score decreased from 20.26 ± 5.91 to 9.73 ± 5.44 in the memantine group (P < 0.000) and from 22.89 ± 5.70 to 16.63 ± 4.00 in the placebo group (P < 0.000). At the end of the study, 15 (78.94%) patients in the memantine group and 7 (36.84%) patients in the placebo group demonstrated more than 34% decline in the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Behavior Scale score (P < 0.01). No serious adverse effects were reported. Our double-blind controlled clinical trial showed that memantine is an effective adjuvant agent for reducing OC symptoms in patients with BD. However, it needs to be noted that our study is preliminary, and larger double-blind controlled studies are needed to confirm the results.

  20. Neurohemodynamic Correlates of Washing Symptoms in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Pilot fMRI Study Using Symptom Provocation Paradigm.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, Sri Mahavir; Jose, Dania; Baruah, Upasana; Shivakumar, Venkataram; Kalmady, Sunil Vasu; Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan; Mataix-Cols, David; Reddy, Yemmigannur Chandrashekhar Janardhan

    2013-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly being viewed as a multidimensional heterogeneous disorder caused due to the dysfunction of several closely related, overlapping frontostriatal circuits. A study investigating the dimensional construct in treatment naïve, co-morbidity free patients with identical handedness is likely to provide the necessary homogeneity and power to elicit neural correlates of the various symptom dimensions, and overcome the limitations of previous studies. Nine DSM-IV OCD patients with predominant contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (age=29.8±7.1 years; five males: four females; years-of-education=13.9±1.6, YBOCS total score=28.8±4.7, DYBOCS Contamination dimension score=10.7±1.8) and nine healthy controls matched one to one with the patients for age, sex, and years of education (age=27.8±5.4, five males: four females; years-of-education=14.9±3.0), were examined during symptom provocation task performance in 3TMRI. Paired samples t test of brain activation differences (contamination relevant pictures - neutral pictures), limited to apriori regions of interest was done using SPM8 (uncorrected P<0.005). Patients found significantly more pictures to be anxiety provoking in comparison to healthy controls. Patients were found to have deficient activation in the following areas in comparison with healthy controls: bilateral anterior prefrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate, insular and parietal cortices, precuneus, and caudate. Results underscore the importance of frontal, striatal, parietal, and occipital areas in the pathophysiology of OCD. Divergence of findings from previous studies might be attributed to the absence of confounding factors in the current study and may be due to production of intense anxiety in patients.

  1. Neurohemodynamic Correlates of Washing Symptoms in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Pilot fMRI Study Using Symptom Provocation Paradigm

    PubMed Central

    Agarwal, Sri Mahavir; Jose, Dania; Baruah, Upasana; Shivakumar, Venkataram; Kalmady, Sunil Vasu; Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan; Mataix-Cols, David; Reddy, Yemmigannur Chandrashekhar Janardhan

    2013-01-01

    Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly being viewed as a multidimensional heterogeneous disorder caused due to the dysfunction of several closely related, overlapping frontostriatal circuits. A study investigating the dimensional construct in treatment naïve, co-morbidity free patients with identical handedness is likely to provide the necessary homogeneity and power to elicit neural correlates of the various symptom dimensions, and overcome the limitations of previous studies. Materials and Methods: Nine DSM-IV OCD patients with predominant contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (age=29.8±7.1 years; five males: four females; years-of-education=13.9±1.6, YBOCS total score=28.8±4.7, DYBOCS Contamination dimension score=10.7±1.8) and nine healthy controls matched one to one with the patients for age, sex, and years of education (age=27.8±5.4, five males: four females; years-of-education=14.9±3.0), were examined during symptom provocation task performance in 3TMRI. Paired samples t test of brain activation differences (contamination relevant pictures – neutral pictures), limited to apriori regions of interest was done using SPM8 (uncorrected P<0.005). Results: Patients found significantly more pictures to be anxiety provoking in comparison to healthy controls. Patients were found to have deficient activation in the following areas in comparison with healthy controls: bilateral anterior prefrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate, insular and parietal cortices, precuneus, and caudate. Conclusions: Results underscore the importance of frontal, striatal, parietal, and occipital areas in the pathophysiology of OCD. Divergence of findings from previous studies might be attributed to the absence of confounding factors in the current study and may be due to production of intense anxiety in patients. PMID:23833345

  2. Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies, Self/Other Perception, Personality, and Suicidal Ideation in a Non-clinical Sample.

    PubMed

    Iliceto, Paolo; D'Antuono, Laura; Cassarà, Luisa; Giacolini, Teodosio; Sabatello, Ugo; Candilera, Gabriella

    2017-06-01

    Research on the risk factors for SI in adults with OC tendencies is limited, and it is still unclear whether the association between OC tendencies and SI in non-clinical individuals exists. The goal of the present study was to test the associations between OC tendencies, self/other perception, personality traits, depressive symptoms and SI among a non-clinical adult population. We investigated an Italian sample of 337 adults, who were administered a set of self-report questionnaires to assess obsessive-compulsive tendencies, depression, self/other perception, personality traits, and hopelessness. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed. In the final model we found that personality, obsessive-compulsive factor and suicidal ideation were significantly correlated with each other: personality correlated negatively with obsessive-compulsive factor and suicidal ideation, while obsessive-compulsive factor and suicidal ideation resulted as strongly positively associated. Our results highlight the importance of assessing OC tendencies, negative self/other perception and SI. Understanding their role and interplay will allow for the development and implementation of more advanced prevention and treatment policies.

  3. Executive functioning in people with obsessive-compulsive personality traits: evidence of modest impairment.

    PubMed

    García-Villamisar, Domingo; Dattilo, John

    2015-06-01

    Investigations of executive dysfunctions among people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (OCPD) have yielded inconsistent results. The authors speculate that obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPT) from a nonclinical population may be associated with specific executive dysfunctions relative to working memory, attentional set-shifting, and planning. A sample consisting of 79 adults (39 females, 40 males) was divided into high and low scorers on the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4; Hyler, 1994). In addition, these participants were interviewed using the SCID-II (First, Spitzer, Gibbon & Williams, 1997) to confirm the presence of symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality. Participants completed a battery of executive tasks associated with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), including Spatial Working Memory, Intradimensional/Extradimensional (ID/ED), Attentional Set-Shifting, and Stockings of Cambridge. Also, self-report measures of executive functions as well as of anxiety and depressive symptoms were administered. The analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between participants with OCPT and controls on the Spatial Working Memory tasks, ID/ED tasks, Stockings of Cambridge, and the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the number of problems solved in minimum movements. These results suggest that executive dysfunctions are present in people with prominent OCPT and that there is a high convergence between clinical and ecological measures of executive functions in people with obsessive personality traits.

  4. How does locus of control and inflated sense of responsibility relate to obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Turkish adolescents?

    PubMed

    Altin, Müjgan; Karanci, A Nuray

    2008-12-01

    This study aimed to examine the effects of responsibility attitudes, locus of control and their interactions on the general obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatology and the dimensions of OC symptoms in a sample of Turkish adolescents (n=385), their ages varied from 16 to 20 with a mean of 17.23 (S.D.=.68). The results of the present study revealed a significantly positive relationship between responsibility attitudes and general OC symptomatology. However, locus of control did not appear as a significant predictor of general OC symptomatology. Furthermore, results revealed that there was a significant interaction effect of responsibility attitudes with locus of control on OC symptomatology. That is, an inflated sense of responsibility and the presence of an external locus of control produced the highest level of OC symptoms. Related to the dimensions of OC symptoms, responsibility was a weak predictor of obsessive thinking symptoms, and a moderate predictor of cleanliness and checking symptoms. Locus of control and its interaction with responsibility attitudes only significantly predicted obsessional thinking symptoms.

  5. Rapid effects of deep brain stimulation reactivation on symptoms and neuroendocrine parameters in obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    de Koning, P P; Figee, M; Endert, E; van den Munckhof, P; Schuurman, P R; Storosum, J G; Denys, D; Fliers, E

    2016-01-01

    Improvement of obsessions and compulsions by deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often preceded by a rapid and transient mood elevation (hypomania). In a previous study we showed that improvement of mood by DBS for OCD is associated with a decreased activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary adrenal axis. The aim of our present study was to evaluate the time course of rapid clinical changes following DBS reactivation in more detail and to assess their association with additional neuroendocrine parameters. We included therapy-refractory OCD patients treated with DBS (>1 year) and performed a baseline assessment of symptoms, as well as plasma concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin, growth hormone, copeptin and homovanillic acid. This was repeated after a 1-week DBS OFF condition. Next, we assessed the rapid effects of DBS reactivation by measuring psychiatric symptom changes using visual analog scales as well as repeated neuroendocrine measures after 30 min, 2 h and 6 h. OCD, anxiety and depressive symptoms markedly increased during the 1-week OFF condition and decreased again to a similar extent already 2 h after DBS reactivation. We found lower plasma prolactin (41% decrease, P=0.003) and TSH (39% decrease, P=0.003) levels during DBS OFF, which increased significantly already 30 min after DBS reactivation. The rapid and simultaneous increase in TSH and prolactin is likely to result from stimulation of hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which may underlie the commonly observed transient mood elevation following DBS. PMID:26812043

  6. The impact of tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and impulsivity on global functioning in Tourette syndrome.

    PubMed

    Kano, Yukiko; Kono, Toshiaki; Matsuda, Natsumi; Nonaka, Maiko; Kuwabara, Hitoshi; Shimada, Takafumi; Shishikura, Kurie; Konno, Chizue; Ohta, Masataka

    2015-03-30

    This study investigated the relationships between tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and impulsivity, and their effects on global functioning in Japanese patients with Tourette syndrome (TS), using the dimensional approach for OCS. Fifty-three TS patients were assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Impulsivity Rating Scale, and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Although tic severity scores were significantly and positively correlated with OCS severity scores, impulsivity severity scores were not significantly correlated with either. The global functioning score was significantly and negatively correlated with tic and OCS severity scores. Of the 6 dimensional OCS scores, only aggression scores had a significant negative correlation with global functioning scores. A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that only OCS severity scores were significantly associated with global functioning scores. Despite a moderate correlation between tic severity and OCS severity, the impact of OCS on global functioning was greater than that of tics. Of the OCS dimensions, only aggression had a significant impact on global functioning. Our findings suggest that it is important to examine OCS using a dimensional approach when analyzing global functioning in TS patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Impact of depressive and anxiety disorder comorbidity on the clinical expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Viswanath, Biju; Narayanaswamy, Janardhanan C; Rajkumar, Ravi Philip; Cherian, Anish V; Kandavel, Thennarasu; Math, Suresh Bada; Reddy, Y C Janardhan

    2012-08-01

    The identification of distinct subtypes based on comorbidity offers potential utility in understanding variations in the clinical expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Hence, we examined the hypothesis whether patients with OCD with major depressive disorder (MDD) or anxiety disorder comorbidity would differ from those without in terms of phenomenology. A total of 545 consecutive patients who consulted a specialty OCD clinic during the period 2004 to 2009 at a psychiatric hospital in India formed the sample. They were evaluated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and the Clinical Global Impression scale. Among 545 patients, 165 (30%) had current MDD, and 114 (21%) had current anxiety disorder comorbidity. Patients with OCD with MDD were mostly women who had a greater severity of OCD symptoms, more of obsessions (especially religious), greater occurrence of miscellaneous compulsions (need to confess or need to touch), higher suicidal risk, and past suicidal attempts. Patients with OCD with anxiety disorder had an earlier onset of illness that was associated with prior life events, less of compulsions, more of aggressive and hoarding obsessions, pathologic doubts, checking, and cognitive compulsions. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, when comorbid with MDD, is more severe and is associated with higher suicidal risk. On the other hand, anxiety disorder comorbidity seems to influence not so much the morbidity but the phenotypic expression of OCD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Three-Week Inpatient Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A 6-Month Follow-Up Study.

    PubMed

    Grøtte, Torun; Hansen, Bjarne; Haseth, Svein; Vogel, Patrick A; Guzey, Ismail C; Solem, Stian

    2018-01-01

    Background: Specialized inpatient or residential treatment might be an alternative treatment approach for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that do not respond satisfactorily to the standard outpatient treatment formats. Method: The aim of this open trial was to investigate the 6-month effectiveness of a 3-week inpatient treatment of OCD, where exposure with response prevention (ERP) was the main treatment intervention. The sample consisted of 187 adult patients with OCD, all with previous treatment attempts for OCD. Results: The sample showed significant reductions in symptoms of OCD and depression. The effect sizes were large for obsessive-compulsive symptoms and moderate to large for depressive symptoms. At discharge, 79.7% of the intent-to-treat (ITT) group were classified as treatment responders (≥35% reduction in Y-BOCS scores). However, some participants experienced relapse, as 61.5% of the ITT group were classified as treatment responders at 6-month follow-up. Antidepressant use appeared not to influence the outcome. Only pre-treatment levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms emerged as a significant predictor of relapse. Conclusion: The 3-week inpatient programme produced similar treatment effects as previous inpatient and residential studies of longer duration (2 - 3 months). The results suggest that patients with severe OCD can be treated efficiently using this brief inpatient format. However, better relapse prevention interventions are needed.

  9. Early Alliance, Alliance Ruptures, and Symptom Change in a Nonrandomized Trial of Cognitive Therapy for Avoidant and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strauss, Jennifer L.; Hayes, Adele M.; Johnson, Sheri L.; Newman, Cory F.; Brown, Gregory K.; Barber, Jaques P.; Lawrenceau, Jean-Philippe; Beck, Aaron T.

    2006-01-01

    Participants were 30 adult outpatients diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder who enrolled in an open trial of cognitive therapy for personality disorders. Treatment consisted of up to 52 weekly sessions. Symptom evaluations were conducted at intake, at Sessions 17 and 34, and at the last…

  10. The Relationship between Obsessive Compulsive Personality and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment Outcomes: Predictive Utility and Clinically Significant Change.

    PubMed

    Sadri, Shalane K; McEvoy, Peter M; Egan, Sarah J; Kane, Robert T; Rees, Clare S; Anderson, Rebecca A

    2017-09-01

    The evidence regarding whether co-morbid obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is associated with treatment outcomes in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is mixed, with some research indicating that OCPD is associated with poorer response, and some showing that it is associated with improved response. We sought to explore the role of OCPD diagnosis and the personality domain of conscientiousness on treatment outcomes for exposure and response prevention for OCD. The impact of co-morbid OCPD and conscientiousness on treatment outcomes was examined in a clinical sample of 46 participants with OCD. OCPD diagnosis and scores on conscientiousness were not associated with poorer post-treatment OCD severity, as indexed by Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) scores, although the relative sample size of OCPD was small and thus generalizability is limited. This study found no evidence that OCPD or conscientiousness were associated with treatment outcomes for OCD. Further research with larger clinical samples is required.

  11. Repetitive behaviour in children with high functioning autism and obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Zandt, Fiona; Prior, Margot; Kyrios, Michael

    2007-02-01

    Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and children with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) were compared on a range of repetitive behaviours. Parents reported similar levels of sameness behaviour and repetitive movements in the clinical groups, although children with OCD engaged in more repetitive behaviour focussed around routines and rituals. Children with OCD reported more compulsions and obsessions than children with ASD; both groups reported more compulsions and obsessions than a typically developing comparison group. Types of compulsions and obsessions tended to be less sophisticated in children with ASD than those with OCD. Sameness behaviour was more prevalent in younger children with OCD, but for children with ASD, age was not significantly related to sameness behaviour, repetitive movements, compulsions, or obsessions.

  12. Compulsion or chronobiology? A case of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy augmented with chronotherapy.

    PubMed

    Coles, Meredith E; Sharkey, Katherine M

    2011-06-15

    Individuals with treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have elevated rates of delayed sleep phase. This report describes a patient with severe OCD who had failed prior trials of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, and whose symptoms were associated with delayed bedtimes and delays in the time she initiated her nighttime compulsions. Case report. A 54 year-old woman with OCD kept sleep/symptom logs as an adjunct to traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD. At presentation, she reported habitual bedtime = 06:00, wake time = 13:00, sleep latency ' 5 min, and total sleep time = 6.5-7.5 h. Later time of initiating her compulsions was associated with longer time performing the compulsions (r = 0.86, p < 0.001). Cognitive-behavioral therapy with adjunctive chronotherapy was associated with substantial improvement. OCD patients with nighttime compulsions may receive light exposure that results in delayed sleep times/circadian phase. Chronotherapy may enhance outcomes for refractory OCD patients, particularly those who perform compulsions at night.

  13. Electroconvulsive therapy for manic state with mixed and psychotic features in a teenager with bipolar disorder and comorbid episodic obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case report.

    PubMed

    Rask, Olof; Suneson, Klara; Holmström, Eva; Bäckström, Beata; Johansson, Björn Axel

    2017-12-12

    Comorbidity of bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder is common in adolescence. Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms may be episodic and secondary to alterations in mood, and display specific features. Management of pediatric bipolar disorder-obsessive-compulsive disorder is challenging, as pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder may induce or exacerbate manic episodes and there is limited evidence of treatment efficacy. Electroconvulsive therapy is sparsely used in children and adolescents, but is documented to be a safe and efficacious intervention in adults with bipolar disorder. In view of the severity of symptoms in juvenile mania, studies on treatment strategies are warranted. We report a case of an adolescent with bipolar disorder-obsessive-compulsive disorder who was successfully treated with electroconvulsive therapy during an episode of severe mania. A 16-year-old girl of Middle East origin first presented to us with depressed mood, irritability, and increased obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, which were initially interpreted in the context of acute stress secondary to migration. She had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder in her previous home country, but had difficulties in accounting for earlier psychiatric history. During hospitalization her mood switched to a manic state with mixed and psychotic features, at times showing aggression toward others. Interruption in her lithium treatment for a short period and possibly the introduction of an atypical antipsychotic could in part have been triggering factors. After 8 weeks of in-patient care and psychotropic drug trials, electroconvulsive therapy was initiated and administered every second or third day for 4 weeks, with marked positive response. No apparent side effects were reported. This case demonstrates the need for a detailed medical history, taking special note of periodicity and character of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, in

  14. Paternal overprotection in obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression with obsessive traits.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Takafumi; Taga, Chiaki; Matsumoto, Yoshitake; Fukui, Kenji

    2005-10-01

    Previous studies have indicated that a parental rearing style showing a low level of care on the parental bonding instrument (PBI) is a risk factor for depression, and that there is a relationship between the overprotective rearing style on the PBI and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, there is no study on the parental rearing attitudes in depressive patients divided into two groups based on their obsessive traits. In this study, we evaluated the parental rearing attitudes and examined the differences among four groups: depressive patients with severe obsessive traits, depressive patients with mild obsessive traits, OCD patients, and healthy volunteers. We divided the depressive patients into severe and mild groups based on their obsessive traits on the Mausdley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). We compared PBI scores among four groups of 50 subjects matched for age and sex: depressive patients with severe obsessive traits, depressive patients with mild obsessive traits, OCD patients, and healthy volunteers. The paternal protection scores in the depressive patients with severely obsessive traits and the OCD patients were significantly higher than those in the depressive patients with mildly obsessive traits and healthy volunteers. This study indicated that the depressive patients with severe obsessive traits and the OCD patients have similar paternal controlling and interfering rearing attitudes. We conclude that the paternal controlling and interfering rearing attitudes are linked to the development of OCD and depression with obsessive traits, and are not linked to the development of depression itself.

  15. Correlates and impact of obsessive-compulsive comorbidity in bipolar disorder.

    PubMed

    Magalhães, Pedro V S; Kapczinski, Natalia S; Kapczinski, Flávio

    2010-01-01

    Anxiety morbidity in general is frequent and harmful in bipolar disorder. Little is known, however, whether obsessive-compulsive comorbidity entails particular effects. This report aims to evaluate the prevalence and impact of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) comorbidity in a relatively large clinical sample of bipolar disorder, with other lifetime anxiety comorbidities used as a more rigorous control group. A cross-sectional study in a consecutive clinical sample, with anxiety comorbidity derived from the intake Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, was conducted. Anxiety was assessed with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. The Young Mania Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used to assess (hypo)manic and depressive symptoms. The domains of the WHOQOL BREF were used to evaluate quality of life. Lifetime prevalence of OCD comorbidity was 12.4%. No cases of OCD were detected during mania. Compared with subjects with no anxiety comorbidity, those with lifetime OCD were more likely to have a history of suicide attempts, rapid cycling, and alcohol dependence. Patients with OCD had a lower score on all domains of the WHOQOL. Compared with those with other lifetime anxiety disorders, those with OCD had more anxiety, which mediated a lower WHOQOL social domain. Bipolar disorder patients with obsessive-compulsive comorbidity have a number of indicators of an overall more severe illness. The presence of more anxiety symptoms and a lower social quality of life may be more specific features of the bipolar-OCD comorbidity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relation to symptom dimensions, clinical and family characteristics.

    PubMed

    Albert, Umberto; Bogetto, Filippo; Maina, Giuseppe; Saracco, Paola; Brunatto, Cinthia; Mataix-Cols, David

    2010-09-30

    Family accommodation is the term used to indicate the process whereby family members of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assist or participate in the patients' rituals. Family accommodation is a relatively under-researched phenomenon in OCD but an important one because it may be predictive of poor treatment outcome. This study systematically examined several socio-demographic and clinical variables that are associated with family accommodation in a well-characterized sample of adult patients and their healthy family members. Experienced clinicians administered the Family Accommodation Scale (FAS) to 141 psychopathology-free family members cohabiting with 97 patients with OCD. The items of the FAS were first subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and the resulting domains of family accommodation (Participation, Modification, and Distress and Consequences) introduced as dependent variables in a series of multiple regression models assessing the relationship between family accommodation domains and a wide range of clinical variables, including Axis I and II psychopathology and symptom dimensions derived from the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) Symptom Checklist. The results showed that family accommodation was common, with the provision of reassurance, participation in rituals and assisting the patient in avoidance being the most frequent practices (occurring on a daily basis in 47%, 35%, and 43% of family members, respectively). The PCA of the YBOCS Symptom Checklist yielded four symptom dimensions, which were identical to those previously identified in the international literature. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that a higher score on the contamination/washing symptom dimension and a positive family history for an anxiety disorder other than OCD (referring to a family member other than the participant in this study) predicted greater scores on several domains of family accommodation. Our study confirms that family

  17. Factors Associated with Depression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    ALTINTAŞ, Ebru; TAŞKINTUNA, Nilgün

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most frequent comorbid psychiatric condition associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of current depression in OCD, differences in socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms between OCD patients with and without depression. Additionally, factors associated with comorbid depression were investigated in our study. Methods In total, 140 OCD patients, of which 63 were OCD patients with MDD (OCD+MDD, n=63) and 77 were OCD patients without depression (OCD−MDD, n=77) were included in the study. All patients were diagnosed with OCD using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale, and Beck Depression Scale were administered to all patients. After the socio-demographic and clinical variables and scales were accomplished, the OCD patients divided into two groups as OCD with or without depression and we compared their mean scores of the variables and scales. Univariate analyses were followed by logistic regression. Results There were no significant differences in age, gender, marital status, period without treatment, profession, medical and family history, and social support between the two groups. Anxiety, depression, and obsession and compulsion scores were significantly higher in the OCD+MDD group. The avoidance, insight, instability, and retardation scores of the OCD+MDD group were also significantly higher than those of the OCD−MDD group. Conclusion Our study suggests that many factors are strongly associated with depression in OCD. Positive correlations between poor insight, severity of obsession and compulsion, and stressful life events during the last six months increased the risk of depression in OCD. Our study suggests that high level of avoidance, instability and retardation, history of suicidal attempt, and delayed treatment are other notable factors

  18. Moderators of Impairment Agreement among Parent-Child Dyads in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Storch, Eric A.; Rudy, Brittany M.; Wu, Monica S.; Lewin, Adam B.; Murphy, Tanya K.

    2014-01-01

    Inter-rater agreement for symptom impairment associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) varies between parents and children. However, extraneous variables that may influence these agreement differences have scarcely been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to examine moderators of parent and child agreement on ratings of overall OCD-related impairment and impairment across three domains (i.e., school, social, home) as measured by the Children’s OCD Impact Scale – Child and Parent versions (COIS-C/P). One hundred sixty-six children with OCD and their parents completed ratings of symptom severity, impairment, and demographics, among other measures, prior to psychosocial treatment initiation. Overall parent-child agreement of impairment was in the moderate range. Age, OCD symptom severity, resistance and control, obsession and compulsion severity, and insight emerged as moderator variables, with the direction of moderation varying by domain. Results, implications, and study limitations are discussed. PMID:26190901

  19. Suicidal and death ideation among adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder presenting for intensive intervention.

    PubMed

    Storch, Eric A; Kay, Brian; Wu, Monica S; Nadeau, Joshua M; Riemann, Bradley

    2017-02-01

    This study examined the frequency and relation of death and/or suicidal ideation to treatment response in 101 adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) presenting for intensive intervention. Within 2 days of admission to an intensive treatment program, 101 adults with OCD completed the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-Self Report, Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form, and were administered the Columbia Suicide Scale by a trained clinician. A majority of patients reported death ideation within their lifetime (62.4%) and within the past month (67%). Approximately 12% of patients reported recent suicidal ideation. Patients with recent suicidal ideation reported significantly more depressive symptoms, more OCD symptoms, and less life satisfaction compared with patients not reporting suicidal ideation. Although prevalent, the presence of suicidal ideation was not associated with treatment response in the current sample. Suicidal ideation and history are prevalent among patients being treated intensively and are associated with OCD severity and depression, but they do not predict intensive multimodal treatment response.

  20. Performance monitoring in obsessive-compulsive undergraduates: Effects of task difficulty.

    PubMed

    Riesel, Anja; Richter, Anika; Kaufmann, Christian; Kathmann, Norbert; Endrass, Tanja

    2015-08-01

    Both obsessive-compulsive disorder and subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms seem to be associated with hyperactive error-related brain activity. The current study examined performance monitoring in subjects with subclinical OC symptoms using a new task with different levels of difficulty. Nineteen subjects with high and 18 subjects with low OC characteristics performed a random dot cinematogram (RDC) task with three levels of difficulty. The high and low OC groups did not differ in error-related negativity (ERN), correct-related negativity (CRN) and performance irrespective of task difficulty. The amplitude of the ERN decreased with increasing difficulty whereas the magnitude of CRN did not vary. ERN and CRN approached in size and topography with increasing difficulty, which suggests that errors and correct responses are processed more similarly. These results add to a growing number of studies that fail to replicate hyperactive performance monitoring in individuals with OC symptoms in task with higher difficulty or requiring learning. Together with these findings our results suggest that the relationship between OC symptoms and performance monitoring may be sensitive to type of task and task characteristics and cannot be observed in a RDC that differs from typically used tasks in difficulty and the amount of response-conflict. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Symptom Dimensions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Phenomenology and Treatment Outcomes with Exposure and Ritual Prevention

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Monnica T.; Mugno, Beth; Franklin, Martin; Faber, Sonya

    2014-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. The cognitive-behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is currently exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP); however, clinical impression and some empirical data suggest that certain OCD symptoms are more responsive to treatment than others. Prior work identifying symptom dimensions within OCD is discussed, including epidemiological findings, factor analytic studies, and biological findings. Symptom dimensions most reliably identified include contamination/cleaning, doubt about harm/checking, symmetry/ordering, and unacceptable thoughts/mental rituals. The phenomenology of each of these subtypes is described and research literature is summarized, emphasizing the differential effects of EX/RP and its variants on each of these primary symptom dimensions. To date it appears that EX/RP is an effective treatment for the various OCD dimensions, although not all dimensions have been adequately studied (i.e., symmetry and ordering). Modifications to treatment may be warranted for some types of symptoms. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:23615340

  2. Change Factors in the Process of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, C; Hilbert, S; Schubert, C; Schlegl, S; Freyer, T; Löwe, B; Osen, B; Voderholzer, U

    2017-05-01

    While there is a plethora of evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), studies on change factors of the therapeutic process that account for this success are scarce. In the present study, 155 participants with primary OCD were investigated during CBT inpatient treatment. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-SR served as a measure of symptom severity. In addition, the following process change factors were measured: therapeutic relationship, experience of self-esteem during therapy, experience of mastery, problem actualization and clarification. All variables were assessed on a weekly basis for seven weeks. Linear mixed growth curve analyses were conducted to model the decrease of symptoms over time and to analyse whether the change factors predicted symptom reduction. The analyses revealed a linear decrease of symptoms with high inter-individual variation. Results further showed that increase in self-esteem and mastery experiences as well as the initial score on mastery experience and clarification predicted decrease on the Y-BOCS. We conclude that CBT therapists should focus on clarification in the very first sessions, and try to boost self-esteem and self-efficacy, which is related to mastery, throughout the treatment of OCD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Increase in mastery and self-esteem experiences are associated with symptom decrease in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Initial score of mastery experiences and problem clarification predict symptom decrease in OCD during CBT. CBT therapists should focus on problem clarification in the very first sessions and try to boost self-esteem and self-efficacy throughout the treatment of OCD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Personality traits and smoking in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Bejerot, S; von Knorring, L; Ekselius, L

    2000-11-01

    As opposed to other psychiatric populations, subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) smoke less than the general population. The present study aims at further investigating the relationship between smoking in OCD subjects and personality traits. Sixty-four subjects with OCD were interviewed concerning their smoking habits. Personality traits were evaluated using the Karolinska Scales of Personality, and specific obsessive-compulsive personality traits were elicited through self-report questionnaires. Non-smokers were more easily fatigued, more inclined to worry, more remorseful, less self-confident, less impulsive and became uneasy more frequently when urged to speed up, than smokers with OCD. Additionally, non-smokers fulfilled significantly more obsessive-compulsive personality disorder criteria as compared to the smokers (P < 0.001). We propose a clinical subtype of OCD related to non-smoking, psychasthenia, anxiety, and pronounced obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits.

  4. [Development of sexuality and motivational aspects of sexual behavior in men with obsessive-compulsive disorders].

    PubMed

    2014-09-01

    Sexual behavior and formation of sexuality in men with obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the pressing issues in contemporary medicine. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by the development of intrusive thoughts, memories, movements and actions, as well as a variety of pathological fears (phobias). Increase in the number of patients with this pathology in modern clinical practice of neurotic disorders, the young age of the patients and as a result violation of interpersonal, communicational and sexual nature is quite apparent. The study involved 35 men aged 23 to 47 years with clinical signs of OCD. We determined the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms using the Yale-Brown scale. We established the presence of a mild degree of disorder in 34,3% of cases; in 48,6% of cases disorder of moderate severity was diagnosed; remaining 17.1% were assessed subclinical condition of OCD at the applicable scale. The system of motivational maintenance of sexual behavior in men with obsessive-compulsive disorders is investigated. Motives of sexual behavior of the investigated men with the pathology are determined. The presented research in men with OCD have established multidimensionality and complexity of motivational ensuring of sexual behavior.

  5. Comparison of cognitive flexibility and planning ability in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, patients with obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and healthy controls

    PubMed Central

    PAAST, Negin; KHOSRAVI, Zohreh; MEMARI, Amir Hossein; SHAYESTEHFAR, Monir; ARBABI, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    the severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms wax and wane will be needed to determine whether or not such cognitive measures have diagnostic or clinical relevance for obsessive compulsive disorders. PMID:27688641

  6. Comparison of cognitive flexibility and planning ability in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, patients with obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and healthy controls.

    PubMed

    Paast, Negin; Khosravi, Zohreh; Memari, Amir Hossein; Shayestehfar, Monir; Arbabi, Mohammad

    2016-02-25

    symptoms wax and wane will be needed to determine whether or not such cognitive measures have diagnostic or clinical relevance for obsessive compulsive disorders.

  7. Altered Cingulate Sub-Region Activation Accounts for Task-Related Dissociation in ERN Amplitude as a Function of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanagh, James F.; Grundler, Theo O. J.; Frank, Michael J.; Allen, John J. B.

    2010-01-01

    Larger error-related negativities (ERNs) have been consistently found in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients, and are thought to reflect the activities of a hyperactive cortico-striatal circuit during action monitoring. We previously observed that obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatic students (non-patients) have larger ERNs during errors…

  8. A controlled study of Tourette syndrome. IV. Obsessions, compulsions, and schizoid behaviors.

    PubMed Central

    Comings, D E; Comings, B G

    1987-01-01

    To determine the frequency of obsessive, compulsive, and schizoid behaviors in Tourette syndrome (TS), we prospectively questioned 246 patients with TS, 17 with attention-deficit disorder (ADD), 15 with ADD due to a TS gene, and 47 random controls. The comparative frequency of obsessive, compulsive, and repetitive behaviors--such as obsessive unpleasant thoughts, obsessive silly thoughts, echolalia, palilalia, touching things excessively, touching things a specific number of times, touching others excessively, sexual touching, biting or hurting oneself, head banging, rocking, mimicking others, counting things, and occasional or frequent public exhibitionism--were significantly more common in TS patients than in controls. The frequency of each of these was much higher for grade 3 (severe) TS. Most of these behaviors also occurred significantly more often in individuals with ADD or in individuals with ADD secondary to TS (ADD 2(0) TS). When these features were combined into an obsessive-compulsive score, 45.4% of TS patients had a score of 4-15, whereas 8.5% of controls had a score of 4 or 5. These results indicate that obsessive-compulsive behaviors are an integral part of the expression of the TS gene and can be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Schizoid symptoms, such as thinking that people were watching them or plotting against them, were significantly more common in TS patients than in controls. Auditory hallucinations of hearing voices were present in 14.6% of TS patients, compared with 2.1% of controls (P = .02). These symptoms were absent in ADD patients but present in ADD 2(0) TS patients. These voices were often blamed for telling them to do bad things and were frequently identified with the devil. None of the controls had a total schizoid behavior score greater than 3, whereas 10.9% of the TS patients had scores of 4-10 (P = .02). This frequency increased to 20.6% in the grade 3 TS patients. These quantitative results confirm our clinical

  9. [Quality of life in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review].

    PubMed

    Niederauer, Kátia Gomes; Braga, Daniela Tusi; Souza, Fernanda Pasquoto de; Meyer, Elizabeth; Cordioli, Aristides Volpato

    2007-09-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects between 1.6 and 3.1% of the population. Due to the distress caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder leading to disability as well as the prevalence of the disease, there has been an increase in the number of studies focusing on the general well-being of patients by assessing quality of life. A literature review of the studies that investigated the quality of life of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder was performed. The search was carried out in the following database: Medline, SciELO and PsychoInfo, and the following key-words were used "quality of life" and "obsessive-compulsive disorder". Twenty-seven articles about the topic were selected. The results from this study describe the areas most severely affected by the disorder as well as the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and quality of life. In addition, the effects of the treatment on the patients' quality of life are presented. The social and familial relationships and the occupational performance (capacity to work and study) were the areas most severely affected by the disorder, and, although there was an improvement with the treatment, these areas remain at a poor level of performance. The obsessions were associated with the most significant impairment of the quality of life if compared to the compulsions (rituals). Results from the selected studies suggest that obsessive-compulsive disorder patients have an impairment of quality of life. The level of impairment is similar to that of schizophrenic patients. Future studies with different designs are necessary so that more consistent results can be established.

  10. Repetitive Behaviour and Obsessive-Compulsive Features in Asperger Syndrome: Parental and Self-Reports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dewrang, Petra; Sandberg, Annika Dahlgren

    2011-01-01

    Symptoms of repetitive, obsessive and compulsive behaviour were explored in a group of adolescents and young adults with Asperger syndrome and compared to a typically developing group. By means of self-evaluations and an interview regarding such symptoms with the adolescents and young adults and parental evaluations, the parents retrospectively…

  11. Intact coding region of the serotonin transporter gene in obsessive-compulsive disorder

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Altemus, M.; Murphy, D.L.; Greenberg, B.

    1996-07-26

    Epidemiologic studies indicate that obsessive-compulsive disorder is genetically transmitted in some families, although no genetic abnormalities have been identified in individuals with this disorder. The selective response of obsessive-compulsive disorder to treatment with agents which block serotonin reuptake suggests the gene coding for the serotonin transporter as a candidate gene. The primary structure of the serotonin-transporter coding region was sequenced in 22 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, using direct PCR sequencing of cDNA synthesized from platelet serotonin-transporter mRNA. No variations in amino acid sequence were found among the obsessive-compulsive disorder patients or healthy controls. These results do not support a rolemore » for alteration in the primary structure of the coding region of the serotonin-transporter gene in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. 27 refs.« less

  12. Reliability generalization study of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale for children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    López-Pina, José Antonio; Sánchez-Meca, Julio; López-López, José Antonio; Marín-Martínez, Fulgencio; Núñez-Núñez, Rosa Ma; Rosa-Alcázar, Ana I; Gómez-Conesa, Antonia; Ferrer-Requena, Josefa

    2015-01-01

    The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale for children and adolescents (CY-BOCS) is a frequently applied test to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms. We conducted a reliability generalization meta-analysis on the CY-BOCS to estimate the average reliability, search for reliability moderators, and propose a predictive model that researchers and clinicians can use to estimate the expected reliability of the CY-BOCS scores. A total of 47 studies reporting a reliability coefficient with the data at hand were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed good reliability and a large variability associated to the standard deviation of total scores and sample size.

  13. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and its related disorders: a reappraisal of obsessive-compulsive spectrum concepts.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Dennis L; Timpano, Kiara R; Wheaton, Michael G; Greenberg, Benjamin D; Miguel, Euripedes C

    2010-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinical syndrome whose hallmarks are excessive, anxiety-evoking thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are generally recognized as unreasonable, but which cause significant distress and impairment. When these are the exclusive symptoms, they constitute uncomplicated OCD. OCD may also occur in the context of other neuropsychiatric disorders, most commonly other anxiety and mood disorders. The question remains as to whether these combinations of disorders should be regarded as independent, cooccurring disorders or as different manifestations of an incompletely understood constellation of OCD spectrum disorders with a common etiology. Additional considerations are given here to two potential etiology-based subgroups: (i) an environmentally based group in which OCD occurs following apparent causal events such as streptococcal infections, brain injury, or atypical neuroleptic treatment; and (ii) a genomically based group in which OCD is related to chromosomal anomalies or specific genes. Considering the status of current research, the concept of OCD and OCD-related spectrum conditions seems fluid in 2010, and in need of ongoing reappraisal.

  14. Anxiety as a context for understanding associations between hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive, and panic attack symptoms.

    PubMed

    Longley, Susan L; Calamari, John E; Wu, Kevin; Wade, Michael

    2010-12-01

    In the context of the integrative model of anxiety and depression, we examined whether the essential problem of hypochondriasis is one of anxiety. When analyzed, data from a large nonclinical sample corresponded to the integrative model's characterization of anxiety as composed of both broad, shared and specific, unique symptom factors. The unique hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive, and panic attack symptom factors all had correlational patterns expected of anxiety with the shared, broad factors of negative emotionality and positive emotionality. A confirmatory factor analysis showed a higher-order, bifactor model was the best fit to our data; the shared and the unique hypochondriasis and anxiety symptom factors both contributed substantial variance. This study provides refinements to an empirically based taxonomy and clarifies what hypochondriasis is and, importantly, what it is not. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder: clinical characteristics, diagnostic difficulties, and treatment.

    PubMed

    Mancebo, Maria C; Eisen, Jane L; Grant, Jon E; Rasmussen, Steven A

    2005-01-01

    The overlap between obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has received increasing recognition and continues to be a source of much debate. With the advent of new research methodologies, researchers have attempted to distinguish whether OCPD and OCD are two distinct phenomena that can co-occur or whether they are similar, overlapping constructs. MEDLINE was used to systematically review the OCPD and OCD literature published between 1991 and 2004. Using the more stringent DSM-IV criteria, results from OCD clinical samples suggest that the majority of individuals with OCD (75%) do not have OCPD. Similarly, results from personality disorder samples suggest that the majority of individuals with OCPD (80%) do not have OCD. While there is evidence that OCD and OCPD are linked, the literature does not support either one as a necessary or sufficient component of the other.

  16. Discovering what is hidden: The role of non-ritualized covert neutralizing strategies in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Belloch, Amparo; Carrió, Carmen; Cabedo, Elena; García-Soriano, Gemma

    2015-12-01

    Neutralizing strategies are secondary to obsessions and an additional cause of distress and interference, but they have received little attention in theories and research, especially the non-ritualized covert strategies. This study focuses on the comparative impact of non-ritualized covert and compulsive-overt strategies in the course of OCD. Eighty-two OCD adult patients completed measures assessing distress, interference, appraisals and overt and covert neutralizing strategies to control obsessions. Thirty-eight patients who had completed cognitive therapy were assessed again after treatment. Only overt compulsions are associated with OCD severity. Nonetheless, considering the main symptom dimension, covert strategies are also associated with severity in patients with moral-based obsessions. Patients who used covert strategies more frequently, compared to those who use them less, reported more sadness, guilt, control importance, interference, and dysfunctional appraisals. Regarding the overt strategies, patients who used them more reported more anxiety and ascribed more personal meaning to their obsessions than the patients who used them less. After treatment, recovered patients decreased their use of both covert and overt strategies, while non-recovered patients did not. There was a higher rate of non-recovered patients among those who used more non-ritualized covert strategies before treatment. Emotions and appraisals were assessed with a single item. OCD symptom dimensions were only assessed by the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory. In addition to studying overt compulsions, the impact of covert neutralizing strategies on the OCD course and severity warrants more in-depth study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Temperament features in adolescents with ego-syntonic or ego-dystonic obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Marchesi, Carlo; Ampollini, Paolo; DePanfilis, Chiara; Maggini, Carlo

    2008-09-01

    The present study evaluated whether different patterns of temperament may predict a different threshold of acceptability of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in adolescents. OC symptomatology was detected with the Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version (LOI-CV) and temperament was assessed using the tridimensional personality questionnaire in 2,775 high-school students. According to the LOI-CV scores, the adolescents were classified as high interference (interfering, ego-dystonic symptoms) (HI), supernormal (noninterfering, ego-syntonic symptoms) (Sn) and controls (C) HI were 119 (4.3%), Sn 85 (3.1%) and C 2,571 (92.6%). The best predictor of belonging to HI or Sn groups was the temperament configuration of high Harm Avoidance (HA) and high Persistence (P). The feature that mainly distinguishes the two symptomatic groups were Novelty Seeking (NS) levels. Our data suggest that people characterized by pessimistic worry in anticipation of future problems, passive avoidant behaviour, rapid fatigability (high HA) and irresoluteness, ambitiousness, perseverance, perfectionism, enduring feelings of frustration (high P) might develop OC symptoms. Whether OC symptoms become ego-syntonic or ego-dystonic seems to mainly depend on NS levels: low NS might protect people (with the prevention of "exploratory and active behaviours" that may elicit loss of control on symptoms) from the development of interfering OC symptoms.

  18. Pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a necessary link between phenomenology, neuropsychology, imagery and physiology.

    PubMed

    Aouizerate, Bruno; Guehl, Dominique; Cuny, Emmanuel; Rougier, Alain; Bioulac, Bernard; Tignol, Jean; Burbaud, Pierre

    2004-02-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repetitive intrusive thoughts and compulsive time-consuming behaviors classified into three to five distinct symptom dimensions including: (1) aggressive/somatic obsessions with checking compulsions; (2) contamination concerns with washing compulsions; (3) symmetry obsessions with counting/ordering compulsions; (4) hoarding obsessions with collecting compulsions; and (5) sexual/religious concerns. Phenomenologically, OCD could be thought of as the irruption of internal signals centered on the erroneous perception that "something is wrong" in a specific situation. This generates severe anxiety, leading to recurrent behaviors aimed at reducing the emotional tension. In this paper, we examine how the abnormalities in brain activity reported in OCD can be interpreted in the light of physiology after consideration of various approaches (phenomenology, neuropsychology, neuroimmunology and neuroimagery) that contribute to proposing the central role of several cortical and subcortical regions, especially the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPC), the head of the caudate nucleus and the thalamus. The OFC is involved in the significance attributed to the consequences of action, thereby subserving decision-making, whereas the ACC is particularly activated in situations in which there are conflicting options and a high likelihood of making an error. The DLPC plays a critical part in the cognitive processing of relevant information. This cortical information is then integrated by the caudate nucleus, which controls behavioral programs. A dysfunction of these networks at one or several stages will result in the emergence and maintenance of repetitive thoughts and characteristic OCD behavior. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

  19. A randomized controlled trial comparing EMDR and CBT for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Marsden, Zoe; Lovell, Karina; Blore, David; Ali, Shehzad; Delgadillo, Jaime

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), by comparison to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based on exposure and response prevention. This was a pragmatic, feasibility randomized controlled trial in which 55 participants with OCD were randomized to EMDR (n = 29) or CBT (n = 26). The Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale was completed at baseline, after treatment and at 6 months follow-up. Treatment completion and response rates were compared using chi-square tests. Effect size was examined using Cohen's d and multilevel modelling. Overall, 61.8% completed treatment and 30.2% attained reliable and clinically significant improvement in OCD symptoms, with no significant differences between groups (p > .05). There were no significant differences between groups in Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale severity post-treatment (d = -0.24, p = .38) or at 6 months follow-up (d = -0.03, p = .90). EMDR and CBT had comparable completion rates and clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. The Role of the Orbitofrontal Cortex in Normally Developing Compulsive-Like Behaviors and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, David W.; Lewis, Marc D.; Iobst, Emily

    2004-01-01

    Mounting evidence concerning obsessive-compulsive disorders points to abnormal functioning of the orbitofrontal cortices. First, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) perform poorly on tasks that rely on response suppression/motor inhibition functions mediated by the orbitofrontal cortex relative to both normal and clinical controls.…

  1. Cognitive Flexibility in Juvenile Anorexia Nervosain Relation to Comorbid Symptoms of Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms and Duration of Illness.

    PubMed

    Rößner, Anne; Juniak, Izabela; van Noort, Betteke Maria; Pfeiffer, Ernst; Lehmkuhl, Ulrike; Kappel, Viola

    2017-09-01

    Whereas the evidence in adolescents is inconsistent, anorexia nervosa (AN) in adults is characterized by weak cognitive flexibility. This study investigates cognitive flexibility in adolescents with AN and its potential associations with symptoms of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and duration of illness. 69 patients and 63 age-matched healthy controls (HC) from 9 till 19 years of age were assessed using the Trail-Making Test (TMT) and self-report questionnaires. In hierarchical regression analyses, set-shifting ability did not differ between AN and HC, whereas AN patients reported significantly higher rates of depression symptoms and OCD symptoms. Age significantly predicted set-shifting in the total sample. Only among AN patients aged 14 years and older did set-shifting decline with increasing age. The presence of AN with depression or OCD symptoms or the duration of illness do not influence cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents. Early interventions may be helpful to prevent a decline in cognitive flexibility in adolescent AN with increasing age.

  2. Social cognition and metacognition in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an explorative pilot study.

    PubMed

    Mavrogiorgou, Paraskevi; Bethge, Mareike; Luksnat, Stefanie; Nalato, Fabio; Juckel, Georg; Brüne, Martin

    2016-04-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe psychiatric condition that is, among other features, characterized by marked impairment in social functioning. Although theoretically plausible with regard to neurobiological underpinnings of OCD, there is little research about possible impairments in social cognitive and meta-cognitive abilities and their connections with social functioning in patients with OCD. Accordingly, we sought to examine social cognitive skills and metacognition in OCD. Twenty OCD patients and age-, sex-, and education-matched 20 healthy controls were assessed using neurocognitive and diverse social cognitive skills including the Ekman 60 Faces test, the Hinting Task, the faux pas test, and a proverb test. In addition, the Metacognition Questionnaire-30 was administered to both the OCD and the control groups. Social functioning was measured using the Personal and Social Performance Scale. Symptom severity in patients was determined by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory. No group differences emerged in basic social cognitive abilities. In contrast, compared to controls, OCD patients scored higher on all MCQ dimensions, particularly negative beliefs about worry, uncontrollability, and danger; beliefs about need to control thoughts; and cognitive self-consciousness. There were no significant correlations between social or metacognitive parameters and OCD symptom severity. However, in the patient group, depression and metacognition predicted social functioning. OCD patients show normal basal social cognitive abilities, but dysfunctional metacognitive profiles, which may contribute to their psychosocial impairment.

  3. Prevalence and associated factors for suicidal ideation and behaviors in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Torres, Albina Rodrigues; de Abreu Ramos-Cerqueira, Ana Teresa; Torresan, Ricardo Cezar; de Souza Domingues, Mariana; Hercos, Ana Carolina R; Guimarães, Aron Barbosa C

    2007-10-01

    Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have historically been considered at low risk for suicide, but recent studies are controversial. To study the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts in OCD patients and to compare those with and without suicidality according to demographic and clinical variables. Fifty outpatients with primary OCD (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) from a Brazilian public university were evaluated. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to assess OCD severity, the Beck Depression Inventory to evaluate depressive symptoms and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test to assess alcohol problems. All patients had obsessions and compulsions, 64% a chronic fluctuating course and 62% a minimum Y-BOCS score of 16. Half of the patients presented relevant depressive symptoms, but only three had a history of alcohol problems. Seventy percent reported having already thought that life was not worth living, 56% had wished to be dead, 46% had suicidal ideation, 20% had made suicidal plans, and 10% had already attempted suicide. Current suicidal ideation occurred in 14% of the sample and was significantly associated with a Y-BOCS score >16. Previous suicidal thoughts were associated with a Beck Depression Inventory score >19. Suicidality has been underestimated in OCD and should be investigated in every patient, so that appropriate preventive measures can be taken.

  4. Compulsivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder and addictions.

    PubMed

    Figee, Martijn; Pattij, Tommy; Willuhn, Ingo; Luigjes, Judy; van den Brink, Wim; Goudriaan, Anneke; Potenza, Marc N; Robbins, Trevor W; Denys, Damiaan

    2016-05-01

    Compulsive behaviors are driven by repetitive urges and typically involve the experience of limited voluntary control over these urges, a diminished ability to delay or inhibit these behaviors, and a tendency to perform repetitive acts in a habitual or stereotyped manner. Compulsivity is not only a central characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but is also crucial to addiction. Based on this analogy, OCD has been proposed to be part of the concept of behavioral addiction along with other non-drug-related disorders that share compulsivity, such as pathological gambling, skin-picking, trichotillomania and compulsive eating. In this review, we investigate the neurobiological overlap between compulsivity in substance-use disorders, OCD and behavioral addictions as a validation for the construct of compulsivity that could be adopted in the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). The reviewed data suggest that compulsivity in OCD and addictions is related to impaired reward and punishment processing with attenuated dopamine release in the ventral striatum, negative reinforcement in limbic systems, cognitive and behavioral inflexibility with diminished serotonergic prefrontal control, and habitual responding with imbalances between ventral and dorsal frontostriatal recruitment. Frontostriatal abnormalities of compulsivity are promising targets for neuromodulation and other interventions for OCD and addictions. We conclude that compulsivity encompasses many of the RDoC constructs in a trans-diagnostic fashion with a common brain circuit dysfunction that can help identifying appropriate prevention and treatment targets. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Insight into obsessive-compulsive symptoms and awareness of illness in adolescent schizophrenia patients with and without OCD.

    PubMed

    Faragian, Sarit; Kurs, Rena; Poyurovsky, Michael

    2008-03-01

    A substantial proportion of adolescent schizophrenia patients also has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As the reliability of OCD identification in schizophrenia has been challenged, we evaluated insight into OCD symptoms and awareness of schizophrenia, using the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale and the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder respectively, in 22 adolescent inpatients who met DSM-IV criteria for both schizophrenia and OCD. Awareness of illness was also assessed in a comparison group of 22 non-OCD adolescent schizophrenia patients. Nineteen (86.3%) schizo-obsessive patients exhibited good or fair insight into OCD, while only 3 patients revealed lack of insight. Roughly 30% of patients in the two schizophrenia groups with and without OCD exhibited unawareness of schizophrenia, indicating that the presence of OCD does not substantially modify global awareness of illness. The effect size of the correlation between insight into OCD and awareness of schizophrenia in the schizo-obsessive group was small and not statistically significant. Our findings support the notion that OCD in adolescent schizophrenia patients represent an identifiable dimension of psychopathology independent of core schizophrenia symptoms. Early identification of this potentially treatable syndrome is imperative for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of this unique subset of schizophrenia patients.

  6. A Structural Equation Analysis of Family Accommodation in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caporino, Nicole E.; Morgan, Jessica; Beckstead, Jason; Phares, Vicky; Murphy, Tanya K.; Storch, Eric A.

    2012-01-01

    Family accommodation of symptoms is counter to the primary goals of cognitive-behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and can pose an obstacle to positive treatment outcomes. Although increased attention has been given to family accommodation in pediatric OCD, relatively little is known about associated child and…

  7. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Diagnosis and management.

    PubMed Central

    Ladouceur, R.; Freeston, M.; Gagnon, F.

    1996-01-01

    We present three diagnostic tools to identify overt compulsive rituals, obsessional thinking, and neutralizing behaviours in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and describe the most effective cognitive-behavioural technique for treating obsessional thinking without overt rituals. Basic dysfunctional beliefs that lead to OCD are explained and integrated in the treatment model. We suggest how combined therapy can be used to tread OCD. PMID:8704492

  8. Symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: phenomenology and treatment outcomes with exposure and ritual prevention.

    PubMed

    Williams, Monnica T; Mugno, Beth; Franklin, Martin; Faber, Sonya

    2013-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. Currently, the cognitive-behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP); however, clinical impression and some empirical data suggest that certain OCD symptoms are more responsive to treatment than others. Prior work identifying symptom dimensions within OCD is discussed, including epidemiological findings, factor analytic studies, and biological findings. Symptom dimensions most reliably identified include contamination/cleaning, doubt about harm/checking, symmetry/ordering, and unacceptable thoughts/mental rituals. The phenomenology of each of these subtypes is described and research literature is summarized, emphasizing the differential effects of EX/RP and its variants on each of these primary symptom dimensions. To date it appears that EX/RP is an effective treatment for the various OCD dimensions, although not all dimensions have been adequately studied (i.e. symmetry and ordering). Modifications to treatment may be warranted for some types of symptoms. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  9. Group behavioral therapy for adolescents with tic-related and non-tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Himle, Joseph A; Fischer, Daniel J; Van Etten, Michelle L; Janeck, Amy S; Hanna, Gregory L

    2003-01-01

    Prior research supports the distinction between tic-related and non-tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) based on phenomenologic, etiologic, and neurobehavioral data. The present study examines whether response to psychosocial treatment differs in adolescents, depending on the presence of comorbid tics. Nineteen adolescents, 12-17 years of age, participated in 7-week, uncontrolled trial of group cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for OCD. Eight of the patients had tic-related and eleven had non-tic-related OCD. The group CBT program included psycho-education, exposure and response prevention, cognitive strategies, and family involvement. Significant improvement was observed for all subjects on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale ratings of obsessions, compulsions, and total OCD symptoms. Outcomes were similar for subjects with tic-related and non-tic-related OCD. These preliminary results suggest that the presence of comorbid tic disorders may not attenuate response to behavioral group treatment among adolescents. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  10. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Suicide Obsessions in a First Responder without Previous Diagnosis of OCD or History of Suicide Attempts.

    PubMed

    Rachamallu, Vivekananda; Song, Michael M; Liu, Haiying; Giles, Charles L; McMahon, Terry

    2017-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a distressing and often debilitating disorder characterized by obsessions, compulsions, or both that are time-consuming and cause impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. There are many published studies reporting higher risk of suicidality in OCD patients, as well as studies describing increased risk of suicidality in OCD patients with other comorbid psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Existing case reports on OCD with suicide as the obsessive component describe patients with long standing diagnosis of OCD with suicidal ideations or previous suicide attempts. This report describes the case of a 28-year-old male, who works as a first responder, who presented with new onset symptoms characteristic of MDD and PTSD, with no past history of OCD or suicidality who developed OCD with suicidal obsessions. Differentiating between suicidal ideation in the context of other psychiatric illnesses and suicidal obsessions in OCD is critical to ensuring accurate diagnosis and timely provision of most appropriate treatment. The combination of exposure and response prevention therapy and pharmacotherapy with sertraline and olanzapine was effective in helping the patient manage the anxiety and distress stemming from the patient's OCD with suicidal obsession.

  11. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Suicide Obsessions in a First Responder without Previous Diagnosis of OCD or History of Suicide Attempts

    PubMed Central

    Song, Michael M.; Liu, Haiying; Giles, Charles L.; McMahon, Terry

    2017-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a distressing and often debilitating disorder characterized by obsessions, compulsions, or both that are time-consuming and cause impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. There are many published studies reporting higher risk of suicidality in OCD patients, as well as studies describing increased risk of suicidality in OCD patients with other comorbid psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Existing case reports on OCD with suicide as the obsessive component describe patients with long standing diagnosis of OCD with suicidal ideations or previous suicide attempts. This report describes the case of a 28-year-old male, who works as a first responder, who presented with new onset symptoms characteristic of MDD and PTSD, with no past history of OCD or suicidality who developed OCD with suicidal obsessions. Differentiating between suicidal ideation in the context of other psychiatric illnesses and suicidal obsessions in OCD is critical to ensuring accurate diagnosis and timely provision of most appropriate treatment. The combination of exposure and response prevention therapy and pharmacotherapy with sertraline and olanzapine was effective in helping the patient manage the anxiety and distress stemming from the patient's OCD with suicidal obsession. PMID:29098105

  12. Cognitive neuroscience of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Stern, Emily R; Taylor, Stephan F

    2014-09-01

    Cognitive neuroscience investigates neural responses to cognitive and emotional probes, an approach that has yielded critical insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. This article reviews some of the major findings from neuroimaging studies using a cognitive neuroscience approach to investigate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It evaluates the consistency of results and interprets findings within the context of OCD symptoms, and proposes a model of OCD involving inflexibility of internally focused cognition. Although further research is needed, this body of work probing cognitive-emotional processes in OCD has already shed considerable light on the underlying mechanisms of the disorder. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Psychological interventions in obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Gellatly, Judith; Molloy, Christine

    2014-08-26

    Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health problem associated with poor quality of life, impaired functioning and increased risk of suicide. Improvement is unlikely and symptoms will remain chronic unless adequate treatment is provided. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2006a) guidelines on the management of OCD, recommend the use of psychological treatments that are based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Brief treatment forms of CBT are recommended initially and more intensive forms are offered when health gain is not apparent. While the presentation of OCD can be complex, nurses can assist in the recognition and treatment of OCD through additional training or current skills.

  14. The role of magical thinking in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder symptoms and cognitions in an analogue sample.

    PubMed

    Yorulmaz, Orçun; Inozu, Mujgan; Gültepe, Bedirhan

    2011-06-01

    In addition to clinical observations exemplifying biased reasoning styles (e.g., overemphasis of thoughts) and particular ritualistic behaviors, it is also empirically supported that magical beliefs are also associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms and some cognitions. It should be noted, however, that most empirical studies have been carried out on the samples from Western cultures, even though these beliefs were culturally determined. Thus, more research is needed in order to understand their roles in the OCD symptoms in different cultural contexts. The present study aimed to examine the impact of magical beliefs in OCD symptoms, cognitions and thought control in a non-Western analogue sample from Turkey. The measures of paranormal beliefs, fusion of thoughts-actions, obsessive beliefs, strategies of thought control and OCD symptoms were administered to an undergraduate sample. Consistent with findings in the literature, the analyses of group comparisons, correlation and regression showed that even after controlling general negative affect, magical beliefs were still associated with OCD symptoms, some beliefs and control strategies, namely the symptoms of obsessional thoughts and checking, fusions of thoughts and actions in likelihood, faulty beliefs in perfectionism-certainty and punishment. Some methodological concerns such as cross-sectional nature, inclusion of only non-clinical sample were major restrictions of the present study. Evidence that magical thinking is a critical factor in the OCD is supported once more in a different cultural context. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Development and Testing of an Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Instrument.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bailey, James R.; And Others

    Compulsivity and obsessiveness are vaguely defined terms which include a broad range of behaviors and cognitions that have been elusive to quantify. To introduce the 22-item Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (OCS) and to perform preliminary validation studies, 114 (46 male, 68 female) college students and 57 counseling clients completed the OCS on two…

  16. Insight in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: associations with clinical presentation.

    PubMed

    Storch, Eric A; Milsom, Vanessa A; Merlo, Lisa J; Larson, Michael; Geffken, Gary R; Jacob, Marni L; Murphy, Tanya K; Goodman, Wayne K

    2008-08-15

    Insight has emerged as a significant treatment outcome predictor in adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with some suggesting that OCD with poor insight represents a distinct clinical subtype. Despite its clinical relevance, limited data exist on insight in pediatric OCD patients. The present study investigated the relation between poor insight and clinical characteristics among children and adolescents with OCD (N=78, ages 6-20 years). Forty-five percent of the sample (n=35) was considered to have low levels of insight into their symptoms, as determined by clinician rating on item 11 of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Pearson product-moment correlations showed a significant, inverse relation between insight and OCD severity. Relative to the high insight group, parents of patients with low insight reported higher levels of OCD-related impairment and family accommodation. These findings suggest that OCD with poor insight may represent a distinct clinical feature that may require more intensive and multimodal treatment approaches.

  17. Development and Validation of a Child Version of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foa, Edna B.; Coles, Meredith; Huppert, Jonathan D.; Pasupuleti, Radhika V.; Franklin, Martin E.; March, John

    2010-01-01

    Surprisingly, only 3 self-report measures that directly assess pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been developed. In addition, these scales have typically been developed in small samples and fail to provide a quick assessment of symptoms across multiple domains. Therefore, the current paper presents initial psychometric data for a…

  18. Diagnostic Stability of Internet Addiction in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: Data from a Naturalistic One-year Treatment Study

    PubMed Central

    Yerramilli, Srinivasa SRR; Karredla, Ashok Reddy; Gopinath, Srinath

    2015-01-01

    Whether internet addiction should be categorized as a primary psychiatric disorder or the result of an underlying psychiatric disorder still remains unclear. In addition, the relationship between internet addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder remains to be explored. We hypothesized that internet addiction is a manifestation of underlying psychopathology, the treatment of which will improve internet addiction. We enrolled 34 control subjects (with or without internet addiction) and compared them to 38 patients with “pure” obsessive-compulsive disorder (with or without internet addiction). Internet addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder were diagnosed based on Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), respectively. Age and Internet Addiction Test scores were comparable in both the control (years: 26.87±6.57; scores: 43.65±11.56) and obsessive-compulsive disorder groups (years: 27.00±6.13 years, p=0.69; scores: 43.47±15.21, p=0.76). Eleven patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (28.95%) were diagnosed with internet addiction as compared to three control subjects (p=0.039). In the obsessive-compulsive disorder group, no difference in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (24.07±3.73 non-internet addiction, 23.64±4.65 internet addiction; p=0.76) score was seen between the internet addiction/obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-internet addiction/obsessive-compulsive disorder groups. As expected, the Internet Addiction Test scores were higher in the internet addiction/obsessive-compulsive disorder group (64.09±9.63) than in the non-internet addiction/obsessive-compulsive disorder group (35.07±6.37; p=0.00). All enrolled patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were subsequently treated for a period of one year. Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder improved Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Internet Addiction Test scores over time. At 12 months

  19. Effects of tryptophan depletion on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-remitted patients with obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Hood, Sean D; Broyd, Annabel; Robinson, Hayley; Lee, Jessica; Hudaib, Abdul-Rahman; Hince, Dana A

    2017-12-01

    Serotonergic antidepressants are first-line medication therapies for obsessive-compulsive disorder, however it is not known if synaptic serotonin availability is important for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor efficacy. The present study tested the hypothesis that temporary reduction in central serotonin transmission, through acute tryptophan depletion, would result in an increase in anxiety in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-remitted obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. Eight patients (four males) with obsessive-compulsive disorder who showed sustained clinical improvement with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment underwent acute tryptophan depletion in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects design, over two days one week apart. Five hours after consumption of the depleting/sham drink the participants performed a personalized obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom exposure task. Psychological responses were measured using the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Visual Analogue Scales. Free plasma tryptophan to large neutral amino acid ratio decreased by 93% on the depletion day and decreased by 1% on the sham day, as anticipated. Psychological rating scores as measured by Visual Analogue Scale showed a significant decrease in perceived control and increase in interfering thoughts at the time of provocation on the depletion day but not on the sham day. A measure of convergent validity, namely Visual Analogue Scale Similar to past, was significantly higher at the time of provocation on both the depletion and sham days. Both the depletion and time of provocation scores for Visual Analogue Scale Anxiety, Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and blood pressure were not significant. Acute tryptophan depletion caused a significant decrease in perceived control and increase in interfering thoughts at the time of provocation. Acute tryptophan

  20. Stable cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients with comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a 12-month longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Schirmbeck, Frederike; Rausch, Franziska; Englisch, Susanne; Eifler, Sarah; Esslinger, Christine; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Zink, Mathias

    2013-11-01

    Amongst schizophrenia patients, a large subgroup of up to 25% also suffers from comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs). The association between comorbid OCSs in these patients and neuropsychological impairment remains unclear and somewhat contradictory. Longitudinal approaches investigating the stability of OCS-associated cognitive deficits are missing. Thirty-seven patients with schizophrenia and comorbid OCSs and 43 schizophrenia patients without OCS were assessed with a comprehensive cognitive test battery and compared at baseline and, again, 12 months later. Schizophrenia patients with comorbid OCSs showed significant pronounced deficits, with increasing effect sizes over the 12-month assessment period in specific cognitive areas such as visuospatial perception and visual memory (WAIS-R block design, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test), executive functioning (perseveration in the Wisconsin Card Sorting test), and cognitive flexibility (Trail Making test B). These cognitive domains are correlated with OCS severity and are known to be candidate cognitive domains in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCSs in schizophrenia is associated with specific and longitudinally stable cognitive deficits, strongly arguing for at least partially overlapping neurobiological mechanisms with OCD. Prospective studies involving patients with at-risk mental states for psychosis are necessary to decipher the interaction of cognitive impairment and the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia and OCSs. This might facilitate the definition of patients at high risk for OCSs, an early detection of subclinical levels, therapeutic interventions, and clinical monitoring.

  1. Early maladaptive schemas and suicidal risk in an Iranian sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Khosravani, Vahid; Sharifi Bastan, Farangis; Samimi Ardestani, Mehdi; Jamaati Ardakani, Razieh

    2017-09-01

    There are few studies on suicidal risk and its related factors in patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study investigated the associations of early maladaptive schemas, OC symptom dimensions, OCD severity, depression and anxiety with suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation and suicide attempts) in OCD patients. Sixty OCD outpatients completed the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI), the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). 51.7% of patients had lifetime suicide attempts and 75% had suicidal ideation. OCD patients with lifetime suicide attempts exhibited significantly higher scores on early maladaptive schemas than those without such attempts. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the mistrust/abuse schema and the OC symptom dimension of unacceptable thoughts explained lifetime suicide attempts. The mistrust/abuse schema, unacceptable thoughts and depression significantly predicted suicidal ideation. These findings indicated that the mistrust/abuse schema may contribute to high suicidality in OCD patients. Also, patients suffering from unacceptable thoughts need to be assessed more carefully for warning signs of suicide. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Suicidal ideation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Balci, Volkan; Sevincok, Levent

    2010-01-30

    The risk factors for suicidal behaviour in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been less studied compared than in other anxiety disorders. In the present study, we examined the demographic and clinical correlates of current suicidal ideation (SI) in patients with OCD. Forty-four patients were grouped into those with (n=23) and without current SI (n=21) as assessed by the Scale for Suicidal Ideation. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to assess the obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatology. Following Bonferroni correction, only the severity of depression differed significantly between the two groups. The presence of major depression and aggressive obsessions, the level of hopelessness, and the severity of OC symptomatology were significant predictors of current SI in patients with OCD. The relatively low frequency of some comorbid Axis I disorders is based on small sample size and therefore may be vulnerable to type II error. We did not examine the relationship between the recent suicidal attempts and OCD. Also, we did not assess the effect of impulsivity in the occurrence of SI in patients with OCD. Associated depression, hopelessness, and aggressive obsessions might play an important role in the occurrence of SI in patients with OCD. However, future studies with a psychological autopsy design are required to systematically determine the presence for OCD among those who have completed suicide.

  3. Aripiprazole augmentation in managing comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder: a case with suicidal attempts.

    PubMed

    Lai, Jianbo; Lu, Qiaoqiao; Zhang, Peng; Xu, Tingting; Xu, Yi; Hu, Shaohua

    2017-01-01

    Comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder (BD) have long been an intractable problem in clinical practice. The increased risk of manic/hypomanic switch hinders the use of antidepressants for managing coexisting OCD symptoms in BD patients. We herein present a case of a patient with BD-OCD comorbidity, who was successfully treated with mood stabilizers and aripiprazole augmentation. The young female patient reported recurrent depressive episodes and aggravating compulsive behaviors before hospitalization. Of note, the patient repetitively attempted suicide and reported dangerous driving because of intolerable mental sufferings. The preexisting depressive episode and OCD symptoms prompted the use of paroxetine, which consequently triggered the manic switching. Her diagnosis was revised into bipolar I disorder. Minimal response with mood stabilizers prompted the addition of aripiprazole (a daily dose of 10 mg), which helped to achieve significant remission in emotional and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. This case highlights the appealing efficacy of a small dose of aripiprazole augmentation for treating BD-OCD comorbidity. Well-designed clinical trials are warranted to verify the current findings.

  4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders: a comprehensive survey

    PubMed Central

    Fornaro, Michele; Gabrielli, Filippo; Albano, Claudio; Fornaro, Stefania; Rizzato, Salvatore; Mattei, Chiara; Solano, Paola; Vinciguerra, Valentina; Fornaro, Pantaleo

    2009-01-01

    Our aim was to present a comprehensive, updated survey on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRDs) and their clinical management via literature review, critical analysis and synthesis. Information on OCD and OCRD current nosography, clinical phenomenology and etiology, may lead to a better comprehension of their management. Clinicians should become familiar with the broad spectrum of OCD disorders, since it is a pivotal issue in current clinical psychiatry. PMID:19450269

  5. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Beyond Segregated Cortico-striatal Pathways

    PubMed Central

    Milad, Mohammed R.; Rauch, Scott L.

    2016-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects ∼2-3% of the population and is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions), typically performed in response to obsessions or related anxiety. In the past few decades, the prevailing models of OCD pathophysiology have focused on cortico-striatal circuitry. More recent neuroimaging evidence, however, points to critical involvement of the lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortices, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and amygdalo-cortical circuitry, in addition to cortico-striatal circuitry, in the pathophysiology of the disorder. In this review, we elaborate proposed features of OCD pathophysiology beyond the classic parallel cortico-striatal pathways and argue that this evidence suggests that fear extinction, in addition to behavioral inhibition, may be impaired in OCD. PMID:22138231

  6. Polarity-dependent effects of transcranial direct current stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    D'Urso, Giordano; Brunoni, Andre Russowsky; Anastasia, Annalisa; Micillo, Marco; de Bartolomeis, Andrea; Mantovani, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    About one third of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) fail to experience significant clinical benefit from currently available treatments. Hyperactivity of the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) has been detected in OCD patients, but it is not clear whether it is the primary cause or a secondary compensatory mechanism in OCD pathophysiology. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique with polarity-dependent effects on motor cortical excitability. A 33-year-old woman with treatment-resistant OCD received 20 daily consecutive 2 mA/20 min tDCS sessions with the active electrode placed on the pre-SMA, according to the 10-20 EEG system, and the reference electrode on the right deltoid. The first 10 sessions were anodal, while the last 10 were cathodal. Symptoms severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) severity score. In the end of anodal stimulation, OCD symptoms had worsened. Subsequent cathodal stimulation induced a dramatic clinical improvement, which led to an overall 30% reduction in baseline symptoms severity score on the Y-BOCS. Our study supports the hypothesis that pre-SMA hyperfunction might be responsible for OCD symptoms and shows that cathodal inhibitory tDCS over this area might be an option when dealing with treatment-resistant OCD.

  7. Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and OCD-related disorders using GVG

    DOEpatents

    Dewey, Stephen L.; Brodie, Jonathan D.; Ashby, Jr., Charles R.

    2002-01-01

    The present invention relates to the use of gamma vinyl-GABA (GVG) to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and OCD-related disorders, and to reduce or eliminate behaviors associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and OCD-related disorders.

  8. A Psychological and Neuroanatomical Model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Huey, Edward D.; Zahn, Roland; Krueger, Frank; Moll, Jorge; Kapogiannis, Dimitrios; Wassermann, Eric M.; Grafman, Jordan

    2009-01-01

    Imaging, surgical, and lesion studies suggest that the prefrontal cortex (orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortexes), basal ganglia, and thalamus are involved in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). On the basis of these findings several models of OCD have been developed, but have had difficulty fully integrating the psychological and neuroanatomical findings of OCD. Recent research in the field of cognitive neuroscience on the normal function of these brain areas demonstrates the role of the orbitofrontal cortex in reward, the anterior cingulate cortex in error detection, the basal ganglia in affecting the threshold for activation of motor and behavioral programs, and the prefrontal cortex in storing memories of behavioral sequences (called “structured event complexes” or SECs). The authors propose that the initiation of these SECs can be accompanied by anxiety that is relieved with completion of the SEC, and that a deficit in this process could be responsible for many of the symptoms of OCD. Specifically, the anxiety can form the basis of an obsession, and a compulsion can be an attempt to receive relief from the anxiety by repeating parts of, or an entire, SEC. The authors discuss empiric support for, and specific experimental predictions of, this model. The authors believe that this model explains the specific symptoms, and integrates the psychology and neuroanatomy of OCD better than previous models. PMID:19196924

  9. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

    MedlinePlus

    ... of the obsessive thoughts. But this only provides short-term relief. Not doing the obsessive rituals can cause ... resolve inner conflicts. Outlook (Prognosis) OCD is a long-term (chronic) illness with periods of severe symptoms followed ...

  10. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Multiple Languages

    MedlinePlus

    ... sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Russian (Русский) Somali (Af-Soomaali ) Spanish (español) HealthReach resources will open in a new window. Russian (Русский) Expand Section Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (An ...

  11. Mapping the Paths from Styles of Anger Experience and Expression to Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: The Moderating Roles of Family Cohesion and Adaptability.

    PubMed

    Liu, Liang; Liu, Cuilian; Zhao, Xudong

    2017-01-01

    Previous research has shown strong connections of anger experience and expression with obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Additionally, studies have demonstrated links between family environment variables and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our study aims to integrate the perspectives from these two literatures by exploring the moderating roles of family cohesion and family adaptability in the relationship between anger proneness and suppression and OCD symptoms. A total of 2008 college students were recruited from a comprehensive university in Shanghai, China between February and May 2016. The subjects completed self-report inventories, including the Symptom Check List-90, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory 2 (Chinese version), and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale, second edition (Chinese Version). Controlling for age, one-child family status, ethnicity, family income, current depression, and anxiety, our analyses showed that the association between anger proneness and OC symptoms was moderated by family cohesion among men and that family adaptability moderated the connection between anger suppression and OC complaints among women. The findings imply that a more cohesive and empathic family environment may protect male students with high levels of anger proneness from developing OC behaviors or thoughts. The results suggest that for female subjects who are accustomed to suppressing angry feelings, flexible family coping strategies and communication atmospheres would reduce their vulnerability to OC symptoms. The findings are somewhat consistent with those of previous studies on psychotherapy outcomes that showed that OCD patients benefitted from psychotherapeutic interventions that cultivated the clients' family cohesion and adaptability.

  12. Thought-Action Fusion and Inflated Responsibility Beliefs in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Leary, Emily Marie; Rucklidge, Julia Jane; Blampied, Neville

    2009-01-01

    In obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), inflated responsibility (IR) beliefs and thought-action fusion (TAF) are two cognitive schema argued to contribute to obsessions and compulsions. We investigated whether IR and TAF are OCD-specific or whether they occur in other anxiety disorders. Adults diagnosed with OCD (n = 20) or other anxiety disorders…

  13. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as an augmentation treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Key, Brenda L; Rowa, Karen; Bieling, Peter; McCabe, Randi; Pawluk, Elizabeth J

    2017-09-01

    A significant number of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients continue to experience symptoms that interfere with their functioning following cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Providing an additional augmentation treatment following CBT could help reduce these residual symptoms. Mindfulness interventions that facilitate less reactivity to thoughts and feelings may be helpful for patients suffering from residual OCD symptoms. The purpose of the current randomized waitlist control trial was to evaluate the feasibility and impact of providing an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention following completion of a CBT intervention to OCD patients who continued to suffer from significant symptoms. Results indicated that compared to the waitlist control group, MBCT participants reported decreases in OCD symptoms (d = 1.38), depression symptoms (d = 1.25), anxiety symptoms (d = 1.02), and obsessive beliefs (d = 1.20) along with increases in self-compassion (d = 0.77) and mindfulness skills (d = 0.77). Additionally, participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the MBCT intervention. The results suggest that the use of MBCT for OCD as an augmentation therapy is acceptable to patients who continue to suffer from OCD symptoms after completing CBT and provides some additional relief from residual symptoms. Mindfulness interventions teach skills that facilitate disengaging from cognitive routines and accepting internal experience, and these skills may be valuable in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as individuals describe getting "stuck" in repetitive thoughts and consequent rituals. The results of this study suggest that teaching mindfulness skills using an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention provides an added benefit (decreases in OCD, depression, and anxiety symptoms) for patients with OCD who have completed a cognitive behavioural therapy intervention and continued to suffer from

  14. Pediatric misophonia with comorbid obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

    PubMed

    Webber, Troy A; Johnson, Patricia L; Storch, Eric A

    2014-01-01

    Misophonia is a potentially debilitating condition characterized by increased sensitivity to specific sounds, which cause subsequent behavioral and emotional responses. The nature, clinical phenomenology and etiology of misophonia remain unclear, and misophonic clinical presentations are not currently accounted for by existing psychiatric or audiological disorders. We present a case of pediatric misophonia in the context of comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome. Given the interrelationships among obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders and misophonia, these disorders may share underlying pathophysiology, particularly within the dopaminergic and serotonergic neural systems. Clinical (i.e., treatment) and theoretical implications are discussed. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Self-esteem and obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Husain, Nusrat; Chaudhry, Imran; Raza-ur-Rehman; Ahmed, Ghazal Riaz

    2014-01-01

    To explore the association between self-esteem and obsessive compulsive disorder in a low-income country, and to conduct an in-depth analysis into the said relationship by identifying any confounding variables that might exist. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the psychiatry out-patient clinic of Civil Hospital, Karachi, from January to March 2008, and comprised 65 patients diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and 30 healthy controls. The participatnts completed the Janis and Field Social Adequacy scale and the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale. SPSS 15 was used for statistical analysis. Significantly different scores were reported on both measures of self-esteem between the patients and the controls (p<0.001 each), indicating reduced levels of self-esteem in the patients compared to the controls. Data replicated earlier findings from populations in high-income countries.

  16. Executive dysfunction, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Evidence for basal ganglia dysfunction?

    PubMed

    Maciel, Ricardo Oliveira Horta; Ferreira, Gilda Aparecida; Akemy, Bárbara; Cardoso, Francisco

    2016-01-15

    Chorea is well described in a group of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). There is less information, however, on other movement disorders as well as non-motor neuropsychiatric features such as obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), executive dysfunction and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in subjects with SLE. Fifty-four subjects with SLE underwent a battery of neuropsychiatric tests that included the Mini Mental State Examination, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), the FAS verbal and the categorical (animals) semantic fluency tests, the Obsessive and Compulsive Inventory - Revised, the Yale-Brown Obsessive and Compulsive Scale and Beck's Anxiety and Depression Scales. ADHD was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. SLE disease activity and cumulative damage were evaluated according to the modified SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (mSLEDAI-2K) and the SLICC/ACR, respectively. Six (11.1%) and 33 (61.1%) patients had cognitive impairment according to the MMSE and MoCA, respectively. Eleven (20.4%) had abnormal FAB scores, and 5 (9.3%) had lower semantic fluency scores than expected. The overall frequency of cognitive dysfunction was 72.2% (39 patients) and of neuropsychiatric SLE was 77.8% (42 patients). Two patients (3.7%) had movement disorders. Fifteen (27.8%) had OCS and 17 (31.5%) met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. ADHD and OCS correlated with higher disease activity, p=0.003 and 0.006, respectively. Higher cumulative damage correlated with lower FAB scores (p 0.026). Executive dysfunction, ADHD, OCS, and movement disorders are common in SLE. Our finding suggests that there is frequent basal ganglia dysfunction in SLE. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Behavioral inhibition and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Coles, Meredith E; Schofield, Casey A; Pietrefesa, Ashley S

    2006-01-01

    Behavioral inhibition is frequently cited as a vulnerability factor for development of anxiety. However, few studies have examined the unique relationship between behavioral inhibition and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Therefore, the current study addressed the relationship between behavioral inhibition and OCD in a number of ways. In a large unselected student sample, frequency of current OC symptoms was significantly correlated with retrospective self-reports of total levels of childhood behavioral inhibition. In addition, frequency of current OC symptoms was also significantly correlated with both social and nonsocial components of behavioral inhibition. Further, there was evidence for a unique relationship between behavioral inhibition and OC symptoms beyond the relationship of behavioral inhibition and social anxiety. In addition, results showed that reports of childhood levels of behavioral inhibition significantly predicted levels of OCD symptoms in adulthood. Finally, preliminary evidence suggested that behavioral inhibition may be more strongly associated with some types of OC symptoms than others, and that overprotective parenting may moderate the impact of behavioral inhibition on OC symptoms. The current findings suggest the utility of additional research examining the role of behavioral inhibition in the etiology of OCD.

  18. An epidemiological study of prevalence and comorbidity of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms (SOCD) and stress in Pakistani Adults.

    PubMed

    Ashraf, Farzana; Malik, Sadia; Arif, Amna

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the prevalence and comorbidity of subclinical obsessive compulsive disorder (SOCD) symptoms and stress across gender, marital and employment statuses. A cross-sectional research was conducted from December, 2016 to March 2017 at two universities of cosmopolitan city Lahore. Two self-report scales measuring SOCD symptoms and stress were used to collect data from 377 adults selected through simple random sampling technique, proportionately distributed across gender, marital and employment status. From the total sample, 52% reported low level of stress and 48% faced high level of stress. Significant differences in prevalence were observed across marital and employment statuses whereas for men and women, it was observed same (24%). Comorbidity of high level of SOCD symptoms and high level of stress was seen 34%. Significant prevalence and comorbidity exists between SOCD symptoms and stress and more studies addressing diverse population are needed.

  19. Toxoplasma-infected subjects report an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder diagnosis more often and score higher in Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory.

    PubMed

    Flegr, J; Horáček, J

    2017-02-01

    Latent toxoplasmosis, the life-long presence of dormant stages of Toxoplasma in immunoprivileged organs and of anamnestic IgG antibodies in blood, affects about 30% of humans. Infected subjects have an increased incidence of various disorders, including schizophrenia. Several studies, as well as the character of toxoplasmosis-associated disturbance of neurotransmitters, suggest that toxoplasmosis could also play an etiological role in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The aim of the present cross-sectional study performed on a population of 7471 volunteers was to confirm the association between toxoplasmosis and OCD, and toxoplasmosis and psychological symptoms of OCD estimated by the standard Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R). Incidence of OCD was 2.18% (n=39) in men and 2.28% (n=83) in women. Subjects with toxoplasmosis had about a 2.5 times higher odds of OCD and about a 2.7 times higher odds of learning disabilities. The incidence of 18 other neuropsychiatric disorders did not differ between Toxoplasma-infected and Toxoplasma-free subjects. The infected subjects, even the OCD-free subjects, scored higher on the OCI-R. Examined subjects provided the information about their toxoplasmosis and OCD statuses themselves, which could result in underrating the strength of observed associations. The results confirmed earlier reports of the association between toxoplasmosis and OCD. They also support recent claims that latent toxoplasmosis is in fact a serious disease with many impacts on quality of life of patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Transdiagnostic emotional vulnerabilities linking obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms in a community-based sample of adolescents.

    PubMed

    Chasson, Gregory S; Bello, Mariel S; Luxon, Alexandria M; Graham, Trevor A A; Leventhal, Adam M

    2017-08-01

    Transdiagnostic emotional vulnerabilities are suspected to underlie psychopathologic comorbidity but have received little attention in adolescent emotional pathology literature. We examined distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and anhedonia as concomitant transdiagnostic mechanisms that account for (i.e., statistically mediate) the covariance between adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms. Data on MDD, OCD, and the three aforementioned transdiagnostic vulnerabilities were collected from a community-based sample of 3,094 ninth graders in a large metropolitan area and analyzed using mixed effects modeling to evaluate mediation effects. Individually and when controlling for each other, all three transdiagnostic vulnerabilities mediated the relation between OCD and MDD symptoms both before and after adjusting for demographics. Distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and anhedonia may be unique mechanisms accounting for comorbidity between OCD and MDD symptoms in youth. Longitudinal evaluation of these candidate transdiagnostic emotional vulnerabilities in adolescent OCD-MDD comorbidity is warranted. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. A study investigating the association between compulsive buying with measures of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behavior among internet shoppers.

    PubMed

    Weinstein, A; Mezig, Hila; Mizrachi, S; Lejoyeux, M

    2015-02-01

    Compulsive buying is a chronic, repetitive behavior that becomes a primary response to negative events and feelings. Compulsive buyers are obsessed by buying and their behavior occurs in response to negative emotions and results in a decrease in the intensity of negative emotions. Euphoria or relief from negative emotions is the most common consequence of compulsive buying. A large number of studies have investigated the association between compulsive buying and anxiety, and some studies have used the Spielberger trait-state anxiety inventory. Compulsive buying, state and trait anxiety and general obsessive-compulsive measures were assessed among 120 habitual internet shoppers (2+ times a week, 70 men and 50 women). Results showed that Edwards Compulsive Buying scale measures were associated with Spielberger trait and not state anxiety measures. Spielberger Trait anxiety measures were also correlated with measures of Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive scale (Y-Bocs). Finally, there were no sex differences in this sample. The results of this study support existing evidence for an association between compulsive buying and anxiety and they will be discussed in view of current research on comorbidity of behavioural addiction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Integrating play therapy in the treatment of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Gold-Steinberg, S; Logan, D

    1999-10-01

    While behavioral and psychopharmacological approaches are the most effective interventions for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), psychodynamically oriented play therapy can enhance the treatment of children with this disorder. Play therapy techniques are useful in addressing treatment resistance, feelings of shame around OCD symptoms, negative self-concept, and issues of psychosocial adjustment. A case study illustrates this integrated approach to treatment.

  3. Designing and validation of a yoga-based intervention for obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Bhat, Shubha; Varambally, Shivarama; Karmani, Sneha; Govindaraj, Ramajayam; Gangadhar, B N

    2016-06-01

    Some yoga-based practices have been found to be useful for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The authors could not find a validated yoga therapy module available for OCD. This study attempted to formulate a generic yoga-based intervention module for OCD. A yoga module was designed based on traditional and contemporary yoga literature. The module was sent to 10 yoga experts for content validation. The experts rated the usefulness of the practices on a scale of 1-5 (5 = extremely useful). The final version of the module was pilot-tested on patients with OCD (n = 17) for both feasibility and effect on symptoms. Eighty-eight per cent (22 out of 25) of the items in the initial module were retained, with modifications in the module as suggested by the experts along with patients' inputs and authors' experience. The module was found to be feasible and showed an improvement in symptoms of OCD on total Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) score (p = 0.001). A generic yoga therapy module for OCD was validated by experts in the field and found feasible to practice in patients. A decrease in the symptom scores was also found following yoga practice of 2 weeks. Further clinical validation is warranted to confirm efficacy.

  4. On the nature of obsessions and compulsions.

    PubMed

    de Haan, Sanneke; Rietveld, Erik; Denys, Damiaan

    2013-01-01

    In this chapter, we give an overview of current and historical conceptions of the nature of obsessions and compulsions. We discuss some open questions pertaining to the primacy of the affective, volitional or affective nature of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore, we add some phenomenological suggestions of our own. In particular, we point to the patients' need for absolute certainty and the lack of trust underlying this need. Building on insights from Wittgenstein, we argue that the kind of certainty the patients strive for is unattainable in principle via the acquisition of factual knowledge. Moreover, we suggest that the patients' attempts to attain certainty are counter-productive as their excessive conscious control in fact undermines the trust they need. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Brain Imaging in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacMaster, Frank P.; O'Neill, Joseph; Rosenberg, David R.

    2008-01-01

    Neuroimaging findings support the frontal-striatal-thalamic model of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Glutamate is also implicated in the pathological finding of the disease. Implications for pediatric OCD treatments are discussed.

  6. [Comorbidity in adolescence: simultaneous declaration of depressive, eating, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and use of psychoactive substances in the general population of 17 year old students in a big city].

    PubMed

    Modrzejewska, Renata

    2010-01-01

    To determine whether the following symptoms: depressive symptoms, eating disorder symptoms and obsessive-compulsive symptoms among adolescents in Kraków secondary schools are associated with an increased risk of psychoactive substance use. A representative sample of the population of Kraków secondary school pupils was tested. A two-stage draw method identified a group of 2034 2nd form pupils of all types of secondary schools: grammar schools, technical schools and vocational schools (17-year olds). They were tested using the following screening questionnaires: Beck Depression Scale, EAT-26 eating disorders scale, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (Leyton) scale and the author's drug questionnaire. The incidence of depressive symptoms among boys and girls is associated with an increased risk of alcohol use (74.8% among depressive boys versus 65.8% in the depressive group of girls), cigarette smoking (42.7% vs. 46.7%) and drug use (29.0% vs. 18.6%). All of the relationships are statistically significant in both sexes. 41.7% depressive boys admit to smoking, vs. only 32.6% in the non-depressive group. In the girls' group, these relationships are as follows: 46.7% versus 32.1%. The relationships are statistically significant in both sexes. The incidence of eating disorder symptoms among boys and girls is associated with a higher risk of alcohol use (respectively: 73.5% vs. 61.9%), cigarette smoking (42.1% vs. 46.9%), and drug use (31.6% versus 21.5%). Compared with a group of young people without eating disorder symptoms, the relationships are of statistical significance. Comorbidity of the following symptoms was found: depressive symptoms, eating disorder symptoms, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and symptoms of psychoactive substance use. The presence of depressive symptoms increases the risk of the use of psychoactive substances, especially alcohol and tobacco, to a lesser extent--drugs, both in the boys and in the girls. The presence of eating disorder symptoms

  7. Dream recall and dream content in obsessive-compulsive patients: is there a change during exposure treatment?

    PubMed

    Kuelz, Anne K; Stotz, Ulrike; Riemann, Dieter; Schredl, Michael; Voderholzer, Ulrich

    2010-08-01

    Very little is known about dreams in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, especially regarding changes over the course of treatment with stimulus exposure and response prevention. By use of dream content analysis, 40 dreams of 9 obsessive compulsive (OC) inpatients were compared with 84 dreams of 10 matched OC outpatients and 63 dreams of 11 healthy control participants. Dream protocols of inpatients were collected at the beginning of treatment and after the first exposure exercises. Controls filled in dream protocols in respective intervals. Before treatment, dreams of patients showed significantly less positive contents than dreams of healthy controls. Under treatment with exposure, a significant reduction of OC themes was observed. The findings support the continuity hypothesis of dreaming by showing a link between day-time symptoms and OC symptoms in dreams. Contrary to expectations, however, exposure treatment does not intensify dreams.

  8. Human compulsivity: A perspective from evolutionary medicine.

    PubMed

    Stein, Dan J; Hermesh, Haggai; Eilam, David; Segalas, Cosi; Zohar, Joseph; Menchon, Jose; Nesse, Randolph M

    2016-05-01

    Biological explanations address not only proximal mechanisms (for example, the underlying neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder), but also distal mechanisms (that is, a consideration of how particular neurobiological mechanisms evolved). Evolutionary medicine has emphasized a series of explanations for vulnerability to disease, including constraints, mismatch, and tradeoffs. The current paper will consider compulsive symptoms in obsessive-compulsive and related disorders and behavioral addictions from this evolutionary perspective. It will argue that while obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is typically best conceptualized as a dysfunction, it is theoretically and clinically valuable to understand some symptoms of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders in terms of useful defenses. The symptoms of behavioral addictions can also be conceptualized in evolutionary terms (for example, mismatch), which in turn provides a sound foundation for approaching assessment and intervention. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. The role of depression and anxiety in impulsive and obsessive-compulsive behaviors among anorexic and bulimic patients.

    PubMed

    Finzi-Dottan, Ricky; Zubery, Eynat

    2009-01-01

    Eating disorders are believed to range across a spectrum of varying degrees of obsessive-compulsive and impulsive behavior. Sixty anorexic (mean age = 19.8; sd = 5.9) and 109 bulimic (mean age = 26.9; sd = 11.3) female patients completed self-report questionnaires assessing obsessive-compulsiveness, impulsivity, depression and anxiety, as well as two eating disorder scales. Results yielded significantly higher levels of impulsivity and negative body image in the bulimic compared to the anorexic group. Regression analysis predicting impulsivity showed that bulimia and negative body image were the main contributors. Regression analysis for predicting obsessive-compulsive behavior suggested that depression and anxiety obscure the link between anorexia and obsessive-compulsive behavior, and a high BMI intensifies the association between anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behavior. The high rates of both impulsivity and obsessive-compulsiveness found in both groups, and their association with the severity of the eating disorder, may suggest that impulsivity and obsessive-compulsiveness are not mutually exclusive and can both be found among anorexic and bulimic patients.

  10. Prevalence of Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Traits in Adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder versus Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Anthony; Greene, Ashley L; Storch, Eric A; Simpson, H Blair

    2015-01-01

    Identifying risk factors of psychopathology has been an important research challenge. Prior studies examining the impact of childhood temperament on adult disorder have largely focused on undercontrolled and inhibited presentations, with little study of overcontrolled traits such as obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPTs). We compared rates of childhood OCPTs in adults with OCD (without OCPD) (n = 28) to adults with OCPD (without OCD) (n = 27), adults with both OCD and OCPD (n = 28), and healthy controls (HC) (n= 28), using the Childhood Retrospective Perfectionism Questionnaire, a validated measure of perfectionism, inflexibility, and drive for order. Adults with OCPD (both with and without comorbid OCD) reported higher rates of all three childhood OCPTs relative to HC. Individuals with OCD (without OCPD) reported higher rates of inflexibility and drive for order relative to HC, suggesting that these traits may presage the development of OCD, independent of OCPD. Childhood OCPTs were associated with particular OCD symptom dimensions in adulthood (contamination/cleaning, doubt/checking, and symmetry/ordering), independent of OCD onset age and OCPD diagnosis. Longitudinal prospective studies evaluating OCPTs in children are needed to better understand the progression of these traits from childhood to adulthood and their ability to predict future psychopathology.

  11. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder and Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Nicoletti, Alessandra; Luca, Antonina; Raciti, Loredana; Contrafatto, Donatella; Bruno, Elisa; Dibilio, Valeria; Sciacca, Giorgia; Mostile, Giovanni; Petralia, Antonio; Zappia, Mario

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate the frequency of personality disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and in a group of healthy controls. Patients affected by PD diagnosed according to the United Kingdom Parkinson's disease Society Brain Bank diagnostic criteria and a group of healthy controls were enrolled in the study. PD patients with cognitive impairment were excluded from the study. Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorders-II (SCID-II) has been performed to evaluate the presence of personality disorders. Presence of personality disorders, diagnosed according to the DSM-IV, was confirmed by a psychiatric interview. Clinical and pharmacological data were also recorded using a standardized questionnaire. 100 PD patients (57 men; mean age 59.0 ± 10.2 years) and 100 healthy subjects (52 men; mean age 58.1 ± 11.4 years) were enrolled in the study. The most common personality disorder was the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder diagnosed in 40 PD patients and in 10 controls subjects (p-value<0.0001) followed by the depressive personality disorder recorded in 14 PD patients and 4 control subjects (p-value 0.02). Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder was also found in 8 out of 16 de novo PD patients with a short disease duration. PD patients presented a high frequency of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder that does not seem to be related with both disease duration and dopaminergic therapy.

  12. Comparing two basic subtypes in OCD across three large community samples: a pure compulsive versus a mixed obsessive-compulsive subtype.

    PubMed

    Rodgers, Stephanie; Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta; Kawohl, Wolfram; Müller, Mario; Rössler, Wulf; Hengartner, Michael P; Castelao, Enrique; Vandeleur, Caroline; Angst, Jules; Preisig, Martin

    2015-12-01

    Due to its heterogeneous phenomenology, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been subtyped. However, these subtypes are not mutually exclusive. This study presents an alternative subtyping approach by deriving non-overlapping OCD subtypes. A pure compulsive and a mixed obsessive-compulsive subtype (including subjects manifesting obsessions with/without compulsions) were analyzed with respect to a broad pattern of psychosocial risk factors and comorbid syndromes/diagnoses in three representative Swiss community samples: the Zurich Study (n = 591), the ZInEP sample (n = 1500), and the PsyCoLaus sample (n = 3720). A selection of comorbidities was examined in a pooled database. Odds ratios were derived from logistic regressions and, in the analysis of pooled data, multilevel models. The pure compulsive subtype showed a lower age of onset and was characterized by few associations with psychosocial risk factors. The higher social popularity of the pure compulsive subjects and their families was remarkable. Comorbidities within the pure compulsive subtype were mainly restricted to phobias. In contrast, the mixed obsessive-compulsive subtype had a higher prevalence and was associated with various childhood adversities, more familial burden, and numerous comorbid disorders, including disorders characterized by high impulsivity. The current comparison study across three representative community surveys presented two basic, distinct OCD subtypes associated with differing psychosocial impairment. Such highly specific subtypes offer the opportunity to learn about pathophysiological mechanisms specifically involved in OCD.

  13. A Virtual Reality Game to Assess Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    van Bennekom, Martine J; Kasanmoentalib, M Soemiati; de Koning, Pelle P; Denys, Damiaan

    2017-11-01

    The retrospective and subjective nature of clinical interviews is an important shortcoming of current psychiatric diagnosis. Consequently, there is a clear need for objective and standardized tools. Virtual reality (VR) can be used to achieve controlled symptom provocation, which allows direct assessment for the clinician. We developed a video VR game to provoke and assess obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in a standardized and controlled environment. The first objective was to evaluate if the VR game is capable of provoking symptoms in OCD patients as opposed to healthy controls. The second objective was to evaluate the tolerability of the VR game in OCD patients. The VR game was created using a first-person perspective and confronted patients with 15 OCD-specific items, while simultaneously measuring OCD symptoms, including the number of compulsions, anxiety, tension, uncertainty, and urge to control. In this pilot study, eight patients and eight healthy controls performed the VR game. OCD patients performed significantly more compulsions (U = 5, p = 0.003) during the VR game. The anxiety, tension, uncertainty, and urge to control in response to the specific items were also higher for OCD patients, although significance was not yet reached because of the small sample. There were no substantial adverse effects. The results of this pilot study indicate that the VR game is capable of provoking a variety of OCD symptoms in OCD patients, as opposed to healthy controls, and is a potential valuable tool to objectify and standardize an OCD diagnosis.

  14. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Brunelin, Jérôme; Bation, Rémy; Saoud, Mohamed; Poulet, Emmanuel

    2018-01-01

    Despite the advances in psychopharmacology and established psychotherapeutic interventions, more than 40% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not respond to conventional treatment approaches. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been recently proposed as a therapeutic tool to alleviate treatment-resistant symptoms in patients with OCD. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art and future clinical applications of tDCS in patients with OCD. A literature search conducted on the PubMed database following PRISMA guidelines and completed by a manual search yielded 12 results: eight case reports, three open-label studies (with 5, 8, and 42 participants), and one randomized trial with two active conditions (12 patients). There was no sham-controlled study. A total of 77 patients received active tDCS with a large diversity of electrode montages mainly targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex or the (pre-) supplementary motor area. Despite methodological limitations and the heterogeneity of stimulation parameters, tDCS appears to be a promising tool to decrease obsessive-compulsive symptoms as well as comorbid depression and anxiety in patients with treatment-resistant OCD. Further sham-controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. PMID:29495298

  15. Integrating evolutionary and regulatory information with a multispecies approach implicates genes and pathways in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Noh, Hyun Ji; Tang, Ruqi; Flannick, Jason; O'Dushlaine, Colm; Swofford, Ross; Howrigan, Daniel; Genereux, Diane P; Johnson, Jeremy; van Grootheest, Gerard; Grünblatt, Edna; Andersson, Erik; Djurfeldt, Diana R; Patel, Paresh D; Koltookian, Michele; M Hultman, Christina; Pato, Michele T; Pato, Carlos N; Rasmussen, Steven A; Jenike, Michael A; Hanna, Gregory L; Stewart, S Evelyn; Knowles, James A; Ruhrmann, Stephan; Grabe, Hans-Jörgen; Wagner, Michael; Rück, Christian; Mathews, Carol A; Walitza, Susanne; Cath, Daniëlle C; Feng, Guoping; Karlsson, Elinor K; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin

    2017-10-17

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a severe psychiatric disorder linked to abnormalities in glutamate signaling and the cortico-striatal circuit. We sequenced coding and regulatory elements for 608 genes potentially involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder in human, dog, and mouse. Using a new method that prioritizes likely functional variants, we compared 592 cases to 560 controls and found four strongly associated genes, validated in a larger cohort. NRXN1 and HTR2A are enriched for coding variants altering postsynaptic protein-binding domains. CTTNBP2 (synapse maintenance) and REEP3 (vesicle trafficking) are enriched for regulatory variants, of which at least six (35%) alter transcription factor-DNA binding in neuroblastoma cells. NRXN1 achieves genome-wide significance (p = 6.37 × 10 -11 ) when we include 33,370 population-matched controls. Our findings suggest synaptic adhesion as a key component in compulsive behaviors, and show that targeted sequencing plus functional annotation can identify potentially causative variants, even when genomic data are limited.Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder with symptoms including intrusive thoughts and time-consuming repetitive behaviors. Here Noh and colleagues identify genes enriched for functional variants associated with increased risk of OCD.

  16. Patterns of neural response to emotive stimuli distinguish the different symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Mary L; Mataix-Cols, David

    2004-04-01

    Despite its heterogeneous symptomatology, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is currently conceptualized as a unitary diagnostic entity. Recent factor-analytic studies have identified several OCD symptom dimensions that are associated with different demographic variables, comorbidity, patterns of genetic transmission, and treatment response. Functional abnormalities in neural systems important for emotion perception, including the orbitofrontal cortex, lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and limbic regions, have been reported in OCD. In this review, we discuss the extent to which neurobiological markers may distinguish these different symptom dimensions and whether specific symptom dimensions, such as contamination/washing, are associated with abnormalities in emotion and, in particular, disgust, perception in OCD. Also discussed are findings that indicate that anxiety can be induced in healthy volunteers in response to OCD symptom-related material, and that associated increases in activity within neural systems important for emotion perception occur to washing- and hoarding-related material in particular in these subjects. Further examination of neural responses during provocation of different symptom dimensions in OCD patients will help determine the extent to which specific abnormalities in neural systems underlying emotion perception are associated with different symptom dimensions and predict treatment response in OCD.

  17. Performance monitoring during associative learning and its relation to obsessive-compulsive characteristics.

    PubMed

    Doñamayor, Nuria; Dinani, Jakob; Römisch, Manuel; Ye, Zheng; Münte, Thomas F

    2014-10-01

    Neural responses to performance errors and external feedback have been suggested to be altered in obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the current study, an associative learning task was used in healthy participants assessed for obsessive-compulsive symptoms by the OCI-R questionnaire. The task included a condition with equivocal feedback that did not inform about the participants' performance. Following incorrect responses, an error-related negativity and an error positivity were observed. In the feedback phase, the largest feedback-related negativity was observed following equivocal feedback. Theta and beta oscillatory components were found following incorrect and correct responses, respectively, and an increase in theta power was associated with negative and equivocal feedback. Changes over time were also explored as an indicator for possible learning effects. Finally, event-related potentials and oscillatory components were found to be uncorrelated with OCI-R scores in the current non-clinical sample. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Beliefs about excessive exercise in eating disorders: the role of obsessions and compulsions.

    PubMed

    Naylor, Heather; Mountford, Victoria; Brown, Gary

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed to develop an understanding of excessive exercise in eating disorders by exploring the role of exercise beliefs, obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive behaviours. Sixty-four women were recruited from eating disorder services and 75 non-clinical women were recruited from a university. Exercise beliefs and behaviours, obsessive beliefs and behaviours and eating disorder psychopathology were assessed using self-report questionnaires. There was an association between exercise beliefs, obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive behaviours in the eating-disordered group, but not in the non-eating-disordered group. In the eating-disordered group obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive behaviours were associated with a significant proportion of variance in exercise beliefs after controlling for eating disorder psychopathology and BMI. In the non-eating-disordered group obsessive beliefs and behaviours were associated with beliefs about exercise as a method of affect regulation after controlling for BMI. The results are compatible with a model in which obsessive beliefs and exercise beliefs could maintain exercise in eating disorders. This has implications for the assessment and treatment of excessive exercise. Further research is necessary to determine the causality of these relationships. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

  19. Neural Correlates of Symptom Dimensions in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbert, Andrew R.; Akkal, Dalila; Almeida, Jorge R. C.; Mataix-Cols, David; Kalas, Catherine; Devlin, Bernie; Birmaher, Boris; Phillips, Mary L.

    2009-01-01

    The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging on a group of pediatric subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder reveals that this group has reduced activity in neural regions underlying emotional processing, cognitive processing, and motor performance as compared to control subjects.

  20. Early-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Subgroup with a Specific Clinical and Familial Pattern?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chabane, Nadia; Delorme, Richard; Millet, Bruno; Mouren, Marie-Christine; Leboyer, Marion; Pauls, David

    2005-01-01

    Background: The familial nature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been previously demonstrated. The identification of candidate symptoms such as age at onset may help to disentangle the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of the disorder. In this study, the specificity of early-onset OCD was investigated, focusing on the effect of gender,…

  1. Hoarding in a compulsive buying sample.

    PubMed

    Mueller, Astrid; Mueller, Ulrike; Albert, Patricia; Mertens, Christian; Silbermann, Andrea; Mitchell, James E; de Zwaan, Martina

    2007-11-01

    Previous research has indicated that many compulsive buyers also suffer from compulsive hoarding. The present work specifically examined hoarding in a compulsive buying sample. Sixty-six treatment-seeking compulsive buyers were assessed prior to entering a group therapy for compulsive buying using the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS), the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)-Shopping Version, the Compulsive Acquisition Scale (CAS), the German-CBS, the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R), the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I (SCID). Inclusion criteria were current problems with compulsive buying according to the proposed diagnostic criteria for compulsive buying by McElroy, Keck, Pope, Smith, and Strakowski [(1994). Compulsive buying: A report of 20 cases. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 55, 242-248]. Our results support the assumption that many but not all compulsive buyers suffer from compulsive hoarding. A significant association between the SI-R and the compulsive buying measures CBS, Y-BOCS-SV, German-CBS, and the CAS-Buy subscale was found, which is mostly caused by the SI-R subscale acquisition. The SI-R subscales clutter and difficulty discarding were more closely associated with the CAS-Free subscale and with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Hoarding compulsive buyers reported more severe buying symptoms and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and presented with a higher psychiatric co-morbidity, especially any current affective, anxiety and eating disorder. Specific therapeutic interventions for compulsive buyers who also report compulsive hoarding appear indicated.

  2. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: A Reliability Generalization Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    López-Pina, José Antonio; Sánchez-Meca, Julio; López-López, José Antonio; Marín-Martínez, Fulgencio; Núñez-Núñez, Rosa Maria; Rosa-Alcázar, Ana I; Gómez-Conesa, Antonia; Ferrer-Requena, Josefa

    2015-10-01

    The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is the most frequently applied test to assess obsessive compulsive symptoms. We conducted a reliability generalization meta-analysis on the Y-BOCS to estimate the average reliability, examine the variability among the reliability estimates, search for moderators, and propose a predictive model that researchers and clinicians can use to estimate the expected reliability of the Y-BOCS. We included studies where the Y-BOCS was applied to a sample of adults and reliability estimate was reported. Out of the 11,490 references located, 144 studies met the selection criteria. For the total scale, the mean reliability was 0.866 for coefficients alpha, 0.848 for test-retest correlations, and 0.922 for intraclass correlations. The moderator analyses led to a predictive model where the standard deviation of the total test and the target population (clinical vs. nonclinical) explained 38.6% of the total variability among coefficients alpha. Finally, clinical implications of the results are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

  3. Obsessive-compulsive personality traits: how are they related to OCD severity?

    PubMed

    Wetterneck, Chad T; Little, Tannah E; Chasson, Gregory S; Smith, Angela H; Hart, John M; Stanley, Melinda A; Björgvinsson, Thröstur

    2011-12-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that comorbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with greater overall OCD severity, functional impairment, and poorer treatment outcomes (Coles et al., 2008; Lochner et al., 2010; Pinto, 2009). However, research has only examined the effects of OCPD categorically and has yet to thoroughly examine the impact of individual OCPD characteristics dimensionally. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the relationships between various OCPD-related dimensions (e.g., perfectionism, rigidity) and OCD symptomology and severity. The study recruited a sample of OCD patients (n=51) in the OCD units of two residential treatment facilities. Findings yielded significant relationships between OCD severity and the following OCPD dimensions: flexibility, doubts about actions (a dimension of perfectionism), and hoarding. Interpretations of these results and the implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcome are discussed. Furthermore, the current study provides insight into a unique perspective which leaves room for more symptom overlap and variability between OCD and OCPD. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on thought-action fusion, metacognitions, and thought suppression in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Besiroglu, Lutfullah; Çetinkaya, Nuralay; Selvi, Yavuz; Atli, Abdullah

    2011-01-01

    We aimed to assess whether cognitive processes change over time in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors without cognitive behavioral therapy and to investigate the factors associated with probable cognitive changes. During the 16 weeks of the study, 55 patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for OCD received open-label treatment with sertraline (100-200 mg/d) or fluoxetine (40-80 mg/d) and were assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Thought-Action Fusion Scale (TAFS), Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30), and White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI). The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (P < .001), BDI (P < .001), TAFS morality (P < .005), MCQ-30 (P < .01), and WBSI (P < .005) scores at follow-up were significantly lower than baseline scores. When we excluded OCD patients with depressive disorder (n = 12), statistical significance in paired comparisons for MCQ and WBSI disappeared. Similarly, when OCD patients with religious obsessions (n = 16) were excluded, paired comparisons for MCQ and TAF morality were not statistically significant. Changes in BDI, TAFS morality, MCQ-30, and WBSI (P < .005) were significantly correlated with changes in severity of obsessions, but not that of compulsions. After controlling for the change in depression severity, significant correlations between changes in obsessive and cognitive scales did not continue to have statistical significance. The BDI changes (P < .05) significantly explained the changes in symptom severity in a linear regression model. Our findings suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can change appraisals of obsessive intrusions via their effects on negative emotions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Family Factors Predict Treatment Outcome for Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Peris, Tara S.; Sugar, Catherine A.; Bergman, R. Lindsey; Chang, Susanna; Langley, Audra; Piacentini, John

    2012-01-01

    Objective To examine family conflict, parental blame, and poor family cohesion as predictors of treatment outcome for youth receiving family-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (FCBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods We analyzed data from a sample of youth who were randomized to FCBT (n = 49; 59% male; mean age = 12.43 years) as part of a larger randomized clinical trial. Youngsters and their families were assessed by an independent evaluator (IE) pre- and post- FCBT using a standardized battery of measures evaluating family functioning and OCD symptom severity. Family conflict and cohesion were measured via parent self-report on the Family Environment Scale (FES; Moos & Moos, 1994) and parental blame was measured using parent self-report on the Parental Attitudes and Behaviors Scale (PABS; Peris, 2008b). Symptom severity was rated by IE’s using the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS; Scahill et al., 1997). Results Families with lower levels of parental blame and family conflict and higher levels of family cohesion at baseline were more likely to have a child who responded to FCBT treatment even after adjusting for baseline symptom severity compared to families who endorsed higher levels of dysfunction prior to treatment. In analyses using both categorical and continuous outcome measures, higher levels of family dysfunction and difficulty in higher number of domains of family functioning were associated with lower rates of treatment response. In addition, changes in family cohesion predicted response to FCBT controlling for baseline symptom severity. Conclusions Findings speak to the role of the family in treatment for childhood OCD and highlight potential targets for future family interventions. PMID:22309471

  6. Family factors predict treatment outcome for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Peris, Tara S; Sugar, Catherine A; Bergman, R Lindsey; Chang, Susanna; Langley, Audra; Piacentini, John

    2012-04-01

    To examine family conflict, parental blame, and poor family cohesion as predictors of treatment outcome for youths receiving family-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (FCBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We analyzed data from a sample of youths who were randomized to FCBT (n = 49; 59% male; M age = 12.43 years) as part of a larger randomized clinical trial. Youths and their families were assessed by an independent evaluator (IE) pre- and post-FCBT using a standardized battery of measures evaluating family functioning and OCD symptom severity. Family conflict and cohesion were measured via parent self-report on the Family Environment Scale (Moos & Moos, 1994), and parental blame was measured using parent self-report on the Parental Attitudes and Behaviors Scale (Peris, Benazon, et al., 2008b). Symptom severity was rated by IEs using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Scahill et al., 1997). Families with lower levels of parental blame and family conflict and higher levels of family cohesion at baseline were more likely to have a child who responded to FCBT treatment even after adjusting for baseline symptom severity compared with families who endorsed higher levels of dysfunction prior to treatment. In analyses using both categorical and continuous outcome measures, higher levels of family dysfunction and difficulty in more domains of family functioning were associated with lower rates of treatment response. In addition, changes in family cohesion predicted response to FCBT, controlling for baseline symptom severity. Findings speak to the role of the family in treatment for childhood OCD and highlight potential targets for future family interventions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  7. [Neuroimaging and the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder].

    PubMed

    Schiepek, Günter; Tominschek, Igor; Karch, Susanne; Mulert, Christoph; Pogarell, Oliver

    2007-01-01

    The following review is focusing on results of functional neuroimaging. After some introductory remarks on the phenomenology, epidemiology, and psychotherapy approaches of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) the most important OCD-related brain regions are presented. Obviously, not only the prominent cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical feedback loops are involved, as functional brain imaging studies tell us, but also other regions as the inferior parietal lobe, the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus, insula, amygdala, cerebellum, and others. Subclassifications using factor-analysis methods support the hypothesis, that most important subtypes ("washing/contamination fear", "obsessions/checking", "symmetry/ordering", "hoarding") involve different, but partially overlapping brain areas. Stimulation paradigms in fMRI-research are commonly based on symptom provocation by visual or tactile stimuli, or on action-monitoring and error-monitoring tasks. Deficits in action-monitoring and planning are discussed to be one of the basic dysfunctions of OCD. Finally, results of psychotherapeutic induced variations of brain activations in OCD are presented.

  8. An autistic dimension: a proposed subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Bejerot, Susanne

    2007-03-01

    This article focuses on the possibility that autism spectrum disorder (ASD: Asperger syndrome, autism and atypical autism) in its milder forms may be clinically important among a substantial proportion of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and discusses OCD subtypes based on this proposition. The hypothesis derives from extensive clinical experience of OCD and ASD, and literature searches on MEDLINE. Neuropsychological deficits are more common in OCD than in panic disorder and depression. Moreover, obsessive-compulsive and schizotypal personality disorders are over-represented in OCD. These may constitute mis-perceived clinical manifestations of ASD. Furthermore, repetitive behaviours and hoarding are common in Asperger syndrome. It is suggested that the comorbidity results in a more severe and treatment resistant form of OCD. OCD with comorbid ASD should be recognized as a valid OCD subtype, analogous to OCD with comorbid tics. An odd personality, with paranoid, schizotypal, avoidant or obsessive-compulsive traits, may indicate these autistic dimensions in OCD patients.

  9. Obsessive-compulsive (anankastic) personality disorder: toward the ICD-11 classification.

    PubMed

    Fineberg, Naomi A; Reghunandanan, Samar; Kolli, Sangeetha; Atmaca, Murad

    2014-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is an early-onset disorder characterized by perfectionism, need for control, and cognitive rigidity. Its nosological status is currently under review. Historically, OCPD has been conceptualized as bearing a close relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this article, we discuss the diagnosis of OCPD in anticipation of its review for the ICD-11, from the perspective of clinical utility, global applicability, and research planning. Considering the recent establishment of an obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRD) category in DSM-5, we focus on the relationship between OCPD and the disorders that are currently thought to bear a close relationship with OCD, including DSM-5 OCRD, and other compulsive disorders such as eating disorder and autistic spectrum disorder (that were not included in the DSM-5 OCRD category), as well as with the personality disorders, focusing on nosological determinants such as phenomenology, course of illness, heritability, environmental risk factors, comorbidity, neurocognitive endophenotypes, and treatment response. Based on this analysis, we attempt to draw conclusions as to its optimal placement in diagnostic systems and draw attention to key research questions that could be explored in field trials.

  10. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and negative affect during tobacco withdrawal in a non-clinical sample of African American smokers.

    PubMed

    Bello, Mariel S; Pang, Raina D; Chasson, Gregory S; Ray, Lara A; Leventhal, Adam M

    2017-05-01

    The association between obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatology and smoking is poorly understood, particularly in African Americans-a group subject to smoking- and OC-related health disparities. In a non-clinical sample of 253 African American smokers, we tested the negative reinforcement model of OC-smoking comorbidity, purporting that smokers with higher OC symptoms experience greater negative affect (NA) and urge to smoke for NA suppression upon acute tobacco abstinence. Following a baseline visit involving OC assessment, participants completed two counterbalanced experimental visits (non-abstinent vs. 16-h tobacco abstinence) involving affect, smoking urge, and nicotine withdrawal assessment. OC symptom severity predicted larger abstinence-provoked increases in overall NA, anger, anxiety, depression, fatigue, urge to smoke to suppress NA, and composite nicotine withdrawal symptom index. African American smokers with elevated OC symptoms appear to be vulnerable to negative reinforcement-mediated smoking motivation and may benefit from cessation treatments that diminish NA or the urge to quell NA via smoking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Negative Affect During Tobacco Withdrawal in a Non-Clinical Sample of African American Smokers

    PubMed Central

    Bello, Mariel S.; Pang, Raina D.; Chasson, Gregory S.; Ray, Lara A.; Leventhal, Adam M.

    2016-01-01

    The association between obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatology and smoking is poorly understood, particularly in African Americans—a group subject to smoking- and OC-related health disparities. In a non-clinical sample of 253 African American smokers, we tested the negative reinforcement model of OC-smoking comorbidity, purporting that smokers with higher OC symptoms experience greater negative affect (NA) and urge to smoke for NA suppression upon acute tobacco abstinence. Following a baseline visit involving OC assessment, participants completed two counterbalanced experimental visits (non-abstinent vs. 16-hr tobacco abstinence) involving affect, smoking urge, and nicotine withdrawal assessment. OC symptom severity predicted larger abstinence-provoked increases in overall NA, anger, anxiety, depression, fatigue, urge to smoke to suppress NA, and composite nicotine withdrawal symptom index. African American smokers with elevated OC symptoms appear to be vulnerable to negative reinforcement-mediated smoking motivation and may benefit from cessation treatments that diminish NA or the urge to quell NA via smoking. PMID:27769664

  12. Socioemotional deficits associated with obsessive-compulsive symptomatology.

    PubMed

    Grisham, Jessica R; Henry, Julie D; Williams, Alishia D; Bailey, Phoebe E

    2010-02-28

    Increasing emphasis has been placed on the role of socioemotional functioning in models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study investigated whether OCD symptoms were associated with capacity for theory of mind (ToM) and basic affect recognition. Non-clinical volunteers (N=204) completed self report measures of OCD and general psychopathology, in addition to behavioral measures of ToM and affect recognition. The results indicated that higher OCD symptoms were associated with reduced ToM, as well as reduced accuracy decoding the specific emotion of disgust. Importantly, these relationships could not be attributed to other, more general features of psychopathology. The findings of the current study therefore further our understanding of how the processing and interpretation of social and emotional information is affected in the context of OCD symptomatology, and are discussed in relation to neuropsychological models of OCD. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of psilocybin in 9 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Moreno, Francisco A; Wiegand, Christopher B; Taitano, E Keolani; Delgado, Pedro L

    2006-11-01

    Anecdotal reports suggest that psychedelic agents may relieve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This modified double-blind study investigated the safety, tolerability, and clinical effects of psilocybin, a potent 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A/2C) agonist, in patients with OCD. Nine subjects with DSM-IV-defined OCD and no other current major psychiatric disorder participated in up to 4 single-dose exposures to psilocybin in doses ranging from sub-hallucinogenic to frankly hallucinogenic. Low (100 microg/kg), medium (200 microg/kg), and high (300 microg/kg) doses were assigned in that order, and a very low dose (25 microg/kg) was inserted randomly and in double-blind fashion at any time after the first dose. Testing days were separated by at least 1 week. Each session was conducted over an 8-hour period in a controlled environment in an outpatient clinic; subjects were then transferred to a psychiatric inpatient unit for overnight observation. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and a visual analog scale measuring overall obsessive-compulsive symptom severity were administered at 0, 4, 8, and 24 hours post-ingestion. The Hallucinogen Rating Scale was administered at 8 hours, and vital signs were recorded at 0, 1, 4, 8, and 24 hours after ingestion. The study was conducted from November 2001 to November 2004. Nine subjects were administered a total of 29 psilocybin doses. One subject experienced transient hypertension without relation to anxiety or somatic symptoms, but no other significant adverse effects were observed. Marked decreases in OCD symptoms of variable degrees were observed in all subjects during 1 or more of the testing sessions (23%-100% decrease in YBOCS score). Repeated-measures analysis of variance for all YBOCS values revealed a significant main effect of time on Wilks lambda (F = 9.86, df = 3,3; p = .046), but no significant effect of dose (F = 2.25, df = 3,3; p = .261) or interaction of time and dose (F = 0.923, df = 9,45; p

  14. New onset obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents with severe traumatic brain injury.

    PubMed

    Grados, Marco A; Vasa, Roma A; Riddle, Mark A; Slomine, Beth S; Salorio, Cynthia; Christensen, James; Gerring, Joan

    2008-01-01

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) constitutes a major source of psychiatric morbidity and disability. This study examines new onset of obsessions and compulsions (OCS) within 1 year of severe pediatric TBI. Eighty children and adolescents ages 6-18 years with severe TBI were interviewed by a child psychiatrist using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised to diagnose OCS and comorbidities. A brain magnetic resonance imaging used a 1.5 T scanner 3 months after injury with a T1-weighted spoiled gradient-recalled-echo sequence to provide high spatial resolution and T1- and T2(*)-contrast sensitivity. Race, sex, socioeconomic status, psychosocial adversity, and injury severity were used to predict new onset OCS. Psychiatric comorbidities and brain lesion volumes in orbitofrontal, mesial prefrontal, temporal lobe, basal ganglia, and thalamus were examined in relation to new onset OCS. Twenty-one children (21/72, 29.2%) had OCS after TBI. Most common were worries about disease, cleanliness, and inappropriate actions as well as excessive cleaning, doing things a certain way and ordering. Anxiety disorders, mania, dysthymia, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder were significantly associated with new onset OCS. Injury severity was not associated with new onset OCS. Greater psychosocial adversity (P=0.009), and being female (P=0.005) were associated with OCS while mesial prefrontal and temporal lobe lesions were associated with new onset obsessions (P<0.05). OCS are common after severe pediatric TBI and are associated with greater comorbidities. New onset obsessions are associated with female sex, psychosocial adversity, and mesial prefrontal and temporal lesions. Published 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  15. Paediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Depressive Symptoms: Clinical Correlates and CBT Treatment Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Brown, H M; Lester, K J; Jassi, A; Heyman, I; Krebs, G

    2015-07-01

    Depression frequently co-occurs with paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet the clinical correlates and impact of depression on CBT outcomes remain unclear. The prevalence and clinical correlates of depression were examined in a paediatric specialist OCD-clinic sample (N = 295; Mean = 15 [7 - 18] years, 42 % female), using both dimensional (Beck Depression Inventory-youth; n = 261) and diagnostic (Development and Wellbeing Assessment; n = 127) measures of depression. The impact of depressive symptoms and suspected disorders on post-treatment OCD severity was examined in a sub-sample who received CBT, with or without SSRI medication (N = 100). Fifty-one per-cent of patients reported moderately or extremely elevated depressive symptoms and 26 % (95 % CI: 18 - 34) met criteria for a suspected depressive disorder. Depressive symptoms and depressive disorders were associated with worse OCD symptom severity and global functioning prior to CBT. Individuals with depression were more likely to be female, have had a psychiatric inpatient admission and less likely to be attending school (ps < 0.01). OCD and depressive symptom severity significantly decreased after CBT. Depressive symptoms and depressive disorders predicted worse post-treatment OCD severity (βs = 0.19 and 0.26, ps < 0.05) but became non-significant when controlling for pre-treatment OCD severity (βs = 0.05 and 0.13, ns). Depression is common in paediatric OCD and is associated with more severe OCD and poorer functioning. However, depression severity decreases over the course of CBT for OCD and is not independently associated with worse outcomes, supporting the recommendation for treatment as usual in the presence of depressive symptoms.

  16. The effect of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology on executive functions in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Cunill, Ruth; Huerta-Ramos, Elena; Castells, Xavier

    2013-11-30

    The presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequent in patients with schizophrenia and has been associated with greater functional impairment. The impact of these features on cognitive function is unclear. In this article, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of OCS/OCD on executive functions in schizophrenia patients. Results indicate that schizophrenia patients with OCS/OCD were more impaired in abstract thinking than schizophrenia patients without OCS/OCD. This finding provides support to the double jeopardy hypothesis and may partially explain the greater functional impairment shown in schizo-obsessive patients compared to those with schizophrenia. Inconsistent results were found for set-shifting, cognitive flexibility, cognitive inhibition and verbal fluency, as indicated by the high statistical heterogeneity found. Potential sources of heterogeneity such as definition of OCS/OCD, age of onset, severity of negative symptoms and premorbid intelligence were planned to be explored but there was an insufficient number of studies to perform these analyses. Our findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between OCS/OCD and schizophrenia and warrant further investigation of the cognitive function of schizo-obsessive patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Controlled Comparison of Family Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychoeducation/Relaxation Training for Child Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piacentini, John; Bergman, R. Lindsey; Chang, Susanna; Langley, Audra; Peris, Tara; Wood, Jeffrey J.; McCracken, James

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To examine the efficacy of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) plus a structured family intervention (FCBT) versus psychoeducation plus relaxation training (PRT) for reducing symptom severity, functional impairment, and family accommodation in youths with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method: A total of 71…

  18. Prevalence of Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Traits in Adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder versus Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Pinto, Anthony; Greene, Ashley L.; Storch, Eric A.; Simpson, H. Blair

    2014-01-01

    Identifying risk factors of psychopathology has been an important research challenge. Prior studies examining the impact of childhood temperament on adult disorder have largely focused on undercontrolled and inhibited presentations, with little study of overcontrolled traits such as obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPTs). We compared rates of childhood OCPTs in adults with OCD (without OCPD) (n = 28) to adults with OCPD (without OCD) (n = 27), adults with both OCD and OCPD (n = 28), and healthy controls (HC) (n= 28), using the Childhood Retrospective Perfectionism Questionnaire, a validated measure of perfectionism, inflexibility, and drive for order. Adults with OCPD (both with and without comorbid OCD) reported higher rates of all three childhood OCPTs relative to HC. Individuals with OCD (without OCPD) reported higher rates of inflexibility and drive for order relative to HC, suggesting that these traits may presage the development of OCD, independent of OCPD. Childhood OCPTs were associated with particular OCD symptom dimensions in adulthood (contamination/cleaning, doubt/checking, and symmetry/ordering), independent of OCD onset age and OCPD diagnosis. Longitudinal prospective studies evaluating OCPTs in children are needed to better understand the progression of these traits from childhood to adulthood and their ability to predict future psychopathology. PMID:25574456

  19. Virtual reality for obsessive-compulsive disorder: past and the future.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kwanguk; Kim, Chan-Hyung; Kim, So-Yeon; Roh, Daeyoung; Kim, Sun I

    2009-09-01

    The use of computers, especially for virtual reality (VR), to understand, assess, and treat various mental health problems has been developed for the last decade, including application for phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficits, and schizophrenia. However, the number of VR tools addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is still lacking due to the heterogeneous symptoms of OCD and poor understanding of the relationship between VR and OCD. This article reviews the empirical literatures for VR tools in the future, which involve applications for both clinical work and experimental research in this area, including examining symptoms using VR according to OCD patients' individual symptoms, extending OCD research in the VR setting to also study behavioral and physiological correlations of the symptoms, and expanding the use of VR for OCD to cognitive-behavioral intervention.

  20. Successful anterior capsulotomy in comorbid anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder: case report.

    PubMed

    Barbier, Johan; Gabriëls, Loes; van Laere, Koen; Nuttin, Bart

    2011-09-01

    State-of-the-art treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often proves ineffective. Both disorders have common features, and anterior capsulotomy is a last-resort treatment for OCD. We document the effect of bilateral anterior capsulotomy in a patient with comorbid AN and OCD. A 38-year-old woman with life-threatening, chronic, treatment-refractory AN and OCD underwent anterior capsulotomy. Psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations at baseline and at follow-up document the severity and progress of the case. Bilateral anterior capsulotomy resulted in normalization of eating pattern and weight and a significant decrease of food-related and overall obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Psychiatric evaluations and exposure to food cues confirmed the clinical improvement that was evident immediately after surgery and sustained at 3-month follow-up. This case report suggests that bilateral anterior capsulotomy can be a therapeutic option for patients with comorbid AN and OCD. However, a well-controlled study is warranted.

  1. Evaluation of quality of life therapy for parents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorders in Iran.

    PubMed

    Abedi, Mohammad Reza; Vostanis, Panos

    2010-07-01

    Previous research has provided evidence on the effectiveness of CBT in the symptomatic improvement of children with obsessive-compulsive disorders. There is also increasing recognition of the importance of involving parents and families in treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of such an intervention that promoted family strengths [(quality of life therapy (QoLT)] for mothers of children with obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). The sample consisted of 40 children with OCD and their mothers, who had been referred to clinics in Esfahan city in Iran. Mothers were randomly allocated to an experimental (QoLT) and waiting list control group. Mothers participated in eight QoLT group sessions over 4 weeks. QoLT incorporated CBT techniques in managing OCD symptoms. Measures were completed pre- and post-intervention by both groups. Children completed the Yale-Brown obsession compulsion scale for Children, the Revised children's manifest anxiety scale, and the brief multidimensional student's life satisfaction scale; mothers completed the quality of life inventory (QoLI). QoLT was associated with decrease in OCD and anxiety symptoms and increase in children's satisfaction in the global, family and environment domains, as well as with increased QoLI scores in their mothers. Parenting interventions like QoLT can complement individual modalities such as CBT in the presence of family-related difficulties. This can be particularly applicable in countries and settings with limited resources and high stigma of child mental health problems.

  2. Should an Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Grouping of Disorders Be Included in DSM-V?

    PubMed Central

    Phillips, Katharine A.; Stein, Dan J.; Rauch, Scott; Hollander, Eric; Fallon, Brian A.; Barsky, Arthur; Fineberg, Naomi; Mataix-Cols, David; Ferrão, Ygor Arzeno; Saxena, Sanjaya; Wilhelm, Sabine; Kelly, Megan M.; Clark, Lee Anna; Pinto, Anthony; Bienvenu, O. Joseph; Farrow, Joanne; Leckman, James

    2014-01-01

    The obsessive-compulsive (OC) spectrum has been discussed in the literature for two decades. Proponents of this concept propose that certain disorders characterized by repetitive thoughts and/or behaviors are related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and suggest that such disorders be grouped together in the same category (i.e., grouping, or “chapter”) in DSM. This paper addresses this topic and presents options and preliminary recommendations to be considered for DSM-V. The paper builds upon and extends prior reviews of this topic that were prepared for and discussed at a DSM-V Research Planning Conference on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders held in 2006. Our preliminary recommendation is that an OC-spectrum grouping of disorders be included in DSM-V. Furthermore, we preliminarily recommend that consideration be given to including this group of disorders within a larger supraordinate category of “Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders.” These preliminary recommendations must be evaluated in light of recommendations for, and constraints upon, the overall structure of DSM-V. PMID:20533367

  3. Should an obsessive-compulsive spectrum grouping of disorders be included in DSM-V?

    PubMed

    Phillips, Katharine A; Stein, Dan J; Rauch, Scott L; Hollander, Eric; Fallon, Brian A; Barsky, Arthur; Fineberg, Naomi; Mataix-Cols, David; Ferrão, Ygor Arzeno; Saxena, Sanjaya; Wilhelm, Sabine; Kelly, Megan M; Clark, Lee Anna; Pinto, Anthony; Bienvenu, O Joseph; Farrow, Joanne; Leckman, James

    2010-06-01

    The obsessive-compulsive (OC) spectrum has been discussed in the literature for two decades. Proponents of this concept propose that certain disorders characterized by repetitive thoughts and/or behaviors are related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and suggest that such disorders be grouped together in the same category (i.e. grouping, or "chapter") in DSM. This article addresses this topic and presents options and preliminary recommendations to be considered for DSM-V. The article builds upon and extends prior reviews of this topic that were prepared for and discussed at a DSM-V Research Planning Conference on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders held in 2006. Our preliminary recommendation is that an OC-spectrum grouping of disorders be included in DSM-V. Furthermore, we preliminarily recommend that consideration be given to including this group of disorders within a larger supraordinate category of "Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders." These preliminary recommendations must be evaluated in light of recommendations for, and constraints upon, the overall structure of DSM-V. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Diagnosis and Management.

    PubMed

    Fenske, Jill N; Petersen, Ketti

    2015-11-15

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic illness that can cause marked distress and disability. It is a complex disorder with a variety of manifestations and symptom dimensions, some of which are underrecognized. Early recognition and treatment with OCD-specific therapies may improve outcomes, but there is often a delay in diagnosis. Patients can experience significant improvement with treatment, and some may achieve remission. Recommended first-line therapies are cognitive behavior therapy, specifically exposure and response prevention, and/or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Patients with OCD require higher SSRI dosages than for other indications, and the treatment response time is typically longer. When effective, long-term treatment with an SSRI is a reasonable option to prevent relapse. Patients with severe symptoms or lack of response to first-line therapies should be referred to a psychiatrist. There are a variety of options for treatment-resistant OCD, including clomipramine or augmenting an SSRI with an atypical antipsychotic. Patients with OCD should be closely monitored for psychiatric comorbidities and suicidal ideation.

  5. Group versus individual cognitive treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: changes in non-OCD symptoms and cognitions at post-treatment and one-year follow-up.

    PubMed

    Belloch, Amparo; Cabedo, Elena; Carrió, Carmen; Fernández-Alvarez, Héctor; García, Fernando; Larsson, Christina

    2011-05-15

    Current cognitive approaches postulate that obsessions and compulsions are caused and/or maintained by misinterpretations about their meaning. This assumption has led to the development of cognitive therapeutic (CT) procedures designed to challenge the dysfunctional appraisals and beliefs patients have about their obsessions. Nonetheless, few studies have compared the efficacy of individual and group CT in changing the dysfunctional cognitions that hypothetically underlie Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In this study, 44 OCD patients were assigned to individual (n=18) or group (n=24) CT. Sixteen completed the individual CT, and 22 completed the group CT. The effects of the two CT conditions on depression and worry tendencies were comparable. Individual treatment was more effective than group treatment in decreasing scores on dysfunctional beliefs (responsibility, overestimation of threat, and intolerance to uncertainty) and the use of suppression as a thought control strategy. The post-treatment changes were maintained one year later. The correlations between symptom improvement (OCD severity change) and belief changes were moderate: in the individual treatment the greatest associations were with beliefs about thoughts (importance and control), whereas in the group treatment the greatest associations were with beliefs related to anxiety in general (threat overestimation and intolerance to uncertainty). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Perceived quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: related factors

    PubMed Central

    Rodriguez-Salgado, Beatriz; Dolengevich-Segal, Helen; Arrojo-Romero, Manuel; Castelli-Candia, Paola; Navio-Acosta, Mercedes; Perez-Rodriguez, Maria M; Saiz-Ruiz, Jeronimo; Baca-Garcia, Enrique

    2006-01-01

    Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects young adults and has great impact on the social, emotional and work spheres. Methods We measured perceived quality of life (QOL) in OCD patients, in order to analyse socio-demographic and clinical factors that may be associated with QOL perception. 64 OCD outpatients were assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for DSM-IV, the Yale-Brown Obsessions and Compulsions scale (Y-BOCS), Hamilton's depression scale and the SF-36 self-administered global QOL perception scale. Results We found a correlation among Hamilton's scale scores and all SF-36 subscales. The severity of the obsessive-compulsive disorder was correlated with all SF-36 subscales and with the highest scores in Hamilton's scale. The obsessions subscale was correlated to all SF-36 subscales, while the compulsions subscale was correlated only to social functioning, emotional role, mental health and vitality. Compulsions were not related to general health perception. There were significant differences between OCD patients and the Spanish general population in all SF-36 subscales except those related to physical health and pain. Gender, age, age of onset of the disorder, years of evolution and marital status of the patients did not significantly affect quality of life perception. Being employed was related to better scores in the subscale of physical role. Patients with medical comorbidity scored lower in the subscales of general health, social functioning and mental health. Patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders had worse scores in the subscales of pain, general health, social functioning and mental health. Conclusion Quality of life perception was different in OCD patients and the general population. Quality of life perception was related to severity of the disorder, physical and psychiatric comorbidity and employment status. PMID:16684346

  7. [Impact of eating psychopathology, obsessive-compulsion and depression on self-harm behavior in patients with eating disorders].

    PubMed

    Kong, Seong Sook

    2009-08-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate psychological factors such as eating psychopathology, depression, and obsessive-compulsion that might influence self-harm behavior in patients with eating disorders. Patients with eating disorders (n=135) who visited "M" clinic for eating disorders participated in the study. Data were collected from March to August 2007 using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, Beck Depression Inventory, Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory, and Self-Harm Inventory (SHI). The participants scored high on self-harm as well as on depression and obsessive-compulsion. On the SHI, a high frequency of self harm behavior such as 'torturing self with self-defeating thoughts', 'abused alcohol', 'hit self', and 'suicide attempt' were found for the participants. There were significant correlations between most eating psychopathology variables, depression, obsessive-compulsion, and self-harm behavior. 'Interoceptive awareness' (eating psychopathology), depression, and 'checking' (obsessive-compulsion) were significant predictors of self-harm behavior. Future interventions for patients with eating disorders should focus on assessing the possibility of self-harm and suicidal attempts, especially in those patients with high levels of eating psychopathology, depression, or obsessive-compulsion. Early intervention for depression and obsessive-compulsion could contribute to preventing self-harm and suicide in patients with eating disorders.

  8. Late-onset obsessive compulsive disorder associated with possible gliomatosis cerebri.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Vineet; Chakrabarti, Subho; Modi, Manish; Sahoo, Manoj

    2009-01-01

    Onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after the age of 50 years is rare, and should alert the physician to possible "organic" causes of OCD. These include infections, degenerative disorders, brain injury and cerebrovascular lesions, principally involving the frontal lobes and basal ganglia. The current patient had obsessive images, anxiety, auditory hallucinations and seizures following (possible) gliomatosis cerebri, with onset around 69 years of age. The atypical presentation, lesions involving the cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic-cortical circuit and the association with neurological signs/symptoms, was characteristic. However, late-onset OCD has not been commonly reported with diffuse lesions, and the association with gliomatosis cerebri is not known. This patient's case illustrates the need for careful screening of older patients with recently acquired OCD, and for further systematic study of OCD in the broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders affecting the elderly.

  9. Intravenous Clomipramine for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Khani, Munir

    2016-01-01

    Background: This open trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous clomipramine (CMI) in refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods: Thirty OCD poor responders to previous multiple trials of anti-obsessive medications were selected and admitted to the hospital. Severity of the illness and response to treatment were primarily assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). CMI was gradually administered intravenously for one week. All patients were thereafter switched to oral CMI with a maximum dose of 225mg/day. Results: The Y-BOCS total score mean at admission was in the severe range (24–31), and dropped on discharge and follow-ups to the moderate range (16–23). At discharge, 23 patients (76.7%) had a decrease in Y-BOCS ≥25% and were considered responders, while only 18 (60%) were still responders at 24 weeks. No relevant persistent side effects were reported. Conclusion: Intravenous clomipramine could be of benefit for severe OCD cases that have not adequately responded to several therapies, including oral clomipramine. PMID:26221004

  10. Intravenous Clomipramine for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Karameh, Wael Karameh; Khani, Munir

    2015-07-28

    This open trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous clomipramine (CMI) in refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty OCD poor responders to previous multiple trials of anti-obsessive medications were selected and admitted to the hospital. Severity of the illness and response to treatment were primarily assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). CMI was gradually administered intravenously for one week. All patients were thereafter switched to oral CMI with a maximum dose of 225 mg/day. The Y-BOCS total score mean at admission was in the severe range (24-31), and dropped on discharge and follow-ups to the moderate range (16-23). At discharge, 23 patients (76.7%) had a decrease in Y-BOCS ≥ 25% and were considered responders, while only 18 (60%) were still responders at 24 weeks. No relevant persistent side effects were reported. Intravenous clomipramine could be of benefit for severe OCD cases that have not adequately responded to several therapies, including oral clomipramine. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

  11. Patient-reported outcomes in obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Subramaniam, Mythily; Soh, Pauline; Ong, Clarissa; Esmond Seow, Lee Seng; Picco, Louisa; Vaingankar, Janhavi Ajit; Chong, Siow Ann

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the article was to provide an overview of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and related measures that have been examined in the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The current review focused on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that evaluated three broad outcome domains: functioning, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and OCD-related symptoms. The present review ultimately included a total of 155 unique articles and 22 PROMs. An examination of the PROs revealed that OCD patients tend to suffer from significant functional disability, and report lower HRQoL than controls. OCD patients report greater symptom severity than patients with other mental disorders and evidence indicates that PROMs are sensitive to change and may be even better than clinician-rated measures at predicting treatment outcomes. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the measures reviewed lacked patient input in their development. Future research on PROMs must involve patient perspectives and include rigorous psychometric evaluation of these measures. PMID:25152661

  12. Pedophilia-Themed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Assessment, Differential Diagnosis, and Treatment with Exposure and Response Prevention.

    PubMed

    Bruce, Simone Leavell; Ching, Terence H W; Williams, Monnica T

    2018-02-01

    Fears of sexually harming children are fairly common among clients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet these symptoms are largely unrecognized and frequently misdiagnosed by mental health professionals. Specifically, clients with pedophilia-themed OCD (P-OCD) experience excessive worries and distressing intrusive thoughts about being sexually attracted to, and sexually violating, children. Expressing these concerns may provoke misjudgments from uninformed mental health professionals that a client is presenting instead with pedophilic disorder. This misdiagnosis and subsequent improper interventions can then contribute to increased fear, anxiety, and in many cases, depression, in affected clients. Therefore, it is imperative that mental health professionals first possess a good understanding of this common manifestation of OCD. As such, in this article, we described obsessions and compulsions typical of P-OCD, in order to inform the reader of the distinctive differences between P-OCD and pedophilic disorder. Information about how to assess for P-OCD symptoms is then provided, followed by suggestions on how to tailor aspects of exposure and response prevention to treat this specific form of OCD.

  13. Pathological gambling and compulsive buying: do they fall within an obsessive-compulsive spectrum?

    PubMed Central

    Black, Donald W.; Shaw, Martha; Blum, Nancee

    2010-01-01

    Both compulsive buying (CB) and pathological gambling (PG) have been proposed as members of a spectrum of disorders related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The spectrum hypothesis originated in the early 1990s and has gained considerable support, despite the lack of empirical evidence. Interest in this hypothesis has become critical because some investigators have recommended the creation of a new category that includes these disorders in DSM-5, now under development. In this article, the authors describe the origin of the obsessive-compulsive (OC) spectrum and its theoretical underpinnings, review both CB and PG, and discuss the data both in support of and against an OC spectrum. Both disorders are described in terms of their history, definition, classification, phenomenology, family history, pathophysiology, and clinical management. The authors conclude that: (i) CB and PG are probably not related to OCD, and there is insufficient evidence to place them within an OC spectrum in DSM-V; (ii) PG should stay with the impulse-control disorders (ICDs); and ( iii) a new diagnosis of CB should be created and be classified as an ICD. PMID:20623922

  14. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and behavioral disinhibition.

    PubMed

    Villemarette-Pittman, Nicole R; Stanford, Matthew S; Greve, Kevin W; Houston, Rebecca J; Mathias, Charles W

    2004-01-01

    Although obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is an Axis II diagnosis that is not commonly associated with behavioral disinhibition, the literature contains reports of occasional explosive aggressive outbursts. Existing explanations of OCPD etiology do not address the coexistence of compulsive and impulsive features witnessed in some subpopulations of patients. In this study, the authors present a compensatory theory of OCPD in an effort to explain clinical observations of an unexpectedly large number of OCPD diagnoses among patients clinic referred and self-referred for aggression problems.

  15. Amygdala-prefrontal connectivity during appraisal of symptom-related stimuli in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Paul, Sandra; Beucke, Jan C; Kaufmann, Christian; Mersov, Anna; Heinzel, Stephan; Kathmann, Norbert; Simon, Daniela

    2018-04-06

    Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit dysfunctional appraisal of disorder-relevant stimuli in patients, suggesting disturbances in the processes relying on amygdala-prefrontal connectivity. Recent neuroanatomical models add to the traditional view of dysfunction in corticostriatal circuits by proposing alterations in an affective circuit including amygdala-prefrontal connections. However, abnormalities in amygdala-prefrontal coupling during symptom provocation, and particularly during conditions that require stimulus appraisal, remain to be demonstrated directly. Amygdala-prefrontal connectivity was examined in unmedicated OCD patients during appraisal (v. distraction) of symptom-provoking stimuli compared with an emotional control condition. Subsequent analyses tested whether hypothesized connectivity alterations could be also identified during passive viewing and the resting state in two independent samples. During symptom provocation, reductions in positive coupling between amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex were observed in OCD patients relative to healthy control participants during appraisal and passive viewing of OCD-relevant stimuli, whereas abnormally high amygdala-ventromedial prefrontal cortex coupling was found when appraisal was distracted by a secondary task. In contrast, there were no group differences in amygdala connectivity at rest. Our finding of abnormal amygdala-prefrontal connectivity during appraisal of symptom-related (relative to generally aversive) stimuli is consistent with the involvement of affective circuits in the functional neuroanatomy of OCD. Aberrant connectivity can be assumed to impact stimulus appraisal and emotion regulation, but might also relate to fear extinction deficits, which have recently been described in OCD. Taken together, we propose to integrate abnormalities in amygdala-prefrontal coupling in affective models of OCD.

  16. Correlates of accommodation of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: parent, child, and family characteristics.

    PubMed

    Peris, Tara S; Bergman, R Lindsey; Langley, Audra; Chang, Susanna; McCracken, James T; Piacentini, John

    2008-10-01

    Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, impairing condition associated with high levels of family accommodation (i.e., participation in symptoms). Understanding of factors that may engender accommodation of pediatric OCD is limited. This study conducted exploratory analyses of parent-, child-, and family-level correlates of family accommodation, considering both behavioral and affective components of the response. The sample included 65 youths (mean age 12.3 years, 62% male) with OCD and their parents who completed a standardized assessment battery composed of both clinical and self-report measures (e.g., Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory). Family accommodation was common, with the provision of reassurance and participation in rituals the most frequent practices (occurring on a daily basis among 56% and 46% of parents, respectively). Total scores on the Family Accommodation Scale were not associated with child OCD symptom severity; however, parental involvement in rituals was associated with higher levels of child OCD severity and parental psychopathology and with lower levels of family organization. Comorbid externalizing symptomatology and family conflict were associated with parent report of worse consequences when not accommodating. Although these findings must be interpreted in light of potential type I error, they suggest that accommodation is the norm in pediatric OCD. Family-focused interventions must consider the parent, child, and family-level variables associated with this familial response when teaching disengagement strategies.

  17. The relation between symptoms of bulimia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a startle investigation.

    PubMed

    Altman, Sarah E; Campbell, Miranda L; Nelson, Brady D; Faust, Julianne P; Shankman, Stewart A

    2013-11-01

    Bulimia nervosa (BN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) co-occur at greater rates than chance and may have shared mechanisms of dysfunction. One of these proposed mechanisms is a hyper-responsive aversive system as indicated by heightened startle response to aversive stimuli. The present study examined this hypothesis using 2 types of aversive stimuli: disorder specific (e.g., high-caloric food pictures for BN, contamination pictures for OCD) and nondisorder specific (e.g., knife). Temporal parameters of aversive responding were also examined by assessing startle response in anticipation of and following picture presentation. The sample consisted of 114 undergraduate women selected to have a broad range of BN and/or OCD symptomatology. OCD symptoms were associated with increased startle potentiation during the anticipation and presentation of contamination pictures, and BN symptoms were associated with increased startle potentiation during disorder-related contamination pictures (e.g., sink, toilet). BN symptoms were also associated with increased startle potentiation during and following the presentation of food pictures (though the former effect was only a trend). Additionally, the interaction of BN and OCD symptoms was associated with elevated startle responding during the presentation of contamination and threat stimuli. Overall, the present study provides evidence that BN and OCD symptoms are associated with heightened aversive responding to disorder-specific stimuli, and comorbid BN and OCD symptoms are associated with heightened aversive responding across disorder-specific and nonspecific aversive stimuli. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  18. Relationships between magical thinking, obsessive-compulsiveness and other forms of anxiety in a sample of non-clinical children.

    PubMed

    Simonds, Laura M; Demetre, James D; Read, Cristina

    2009-06-01

    Despite the obvious phenomenological similarities between magical thinking and obsessive-compulsiveness, the relationship between them has been the subject of few empirical investigations in samples of children. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between a general epistemic stance towards magical causation and tendencies towards obsessive-compulsiveness in a non-clinical sample of schoolchildren. One-hundred and two children, aged between 5 and 10 years (48 boys and 54 girls), completed questionnaire measures designed to assess magical thinking, obsessive-compulsiveness, and other forms of anxiety. School teachers completed a measure of strengths and difficulties for each child. General belief in magical causation was correlated with all types of anxiety, not just obsessive-compulsiveness, with significant correlations shown for boys in the sample, but not girls. General belief in magical causation contributed little to the prediction of obsessive-compulsiveness beyond general anxiety. In this study, a general epistemic stance towards magical causation did not differentiate obsessive-compulsiveness from other anxiety dimensions. The findings are considered in the context of developmental theories of magical and scientific causal reasoning.

  19. Inverse reasoning processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Wong, Shiu F; Grisham, Jessica R

    2017-04-01

    The inference-based approach (IBA) is one cognitive model that aims to explain the aetiology and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The model proposes that certain reasoning processes lead an individual with OCD to confuse an imagined possibility with an actual probability, a state termed inferential confusion. One such reasoning process is inverse reasoning, in which hypothetical causes form the basis of conclusions about reality. Although previous research has found associations between a self-report measure of inferential confusion and OCD symptoms, evidence of a specific association between inverse reasoning and OCD symptoms is lacking. In the present study, we developed a task-based measure of inverse reasoning in order to investigate whether performance on this task is associated with OCD symptoms in an online sample. The results provide some evidence for the IBA assertion: greater endorsement of inverse reasoning was significantly associated with OCD symptoms, even when controlling for general distress and OCD-related beliefs. Future research is needed to replicate this result in a clinical sample and to investigate a potential causal role for inverse reasoning in OCD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Suicidal behaviour of Indian patients with obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Dhyani, Mohan; Trivedi, Jitendra Kumar; Nischal, Anil; Sinha, Pramod Kumar; Verma, Subham

    2013-04-01

    The chronicity, distress, high rates of comorbidity and varying degree of non response to treatment in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) may contribute to suicidal behavior. There is relatively little information on suicidal behavior in OCD subjects. Our study design is Single point non-invasive, cross sectional, clinical study of new and follow up cases. Assessment of Suicidal Behavior in patients of OCD attending the adult Psychiatry O.P.D. of Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU) U.P. Lucknow using (DSM-IV) criteria for diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders, Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Rating Scale, Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI), Beck's Hopelessness Scale (BHS). Mean standard deviation and t test for independent samples, Pearson's correlation coefficient. Statistically significant differences were seen in the SSI score between the "Clinical" and "Sub-Clinical" cases with Clinical group having higher scores. Value of correlation coefficient between YBOCS score and SSI and BHS score is positive and statistically significant (P<0.01). "Clinical" group of patients had significantly higher scores of suicidal ideation measured by Scale of Suicidal Ideation (SSI). There was a significantly positive correlation between disease severity (YBOCS Score) and degree of suicidal ideation (SIS Score).

  1. Disassociation of cognitive and affective aspects of theory of mind in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wanting; Fan, Jie; Gan, Jun; Lei, Hui; Niu, Chaoyang; Chan, Raymond C K; Zhu, Xiongzhao

    2017-09-01

    Impairment in social functioning has been widely described in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, several aspects of social cognition, such as theory of mind (ToM), have not been substantially investigated in this context. This study examined cognitive and affective ToM in 40 OCD patients and 38 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) with the computerized Yoni task and a battery of neurocognitive tests. OCD symptom severity was assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were also assessed. Compared to HCs, OCD patients performed worse on second-order affective condition trials, but not cognitive or physical condition trials, of the Yoni task; there were not group differences in any of the first-order condition domains. Second-order ToM performance of OCD patients was associated with estimated intelligence and working memory performance. After controlling for neurocognitive variables, the group difference in second-order affective condition performance remained significant. These findings indicate that the affective component of ToM may be selectively impaired in OCD patients and that the observed deficit is largely independent of other neurocognitive impairments and clinical characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The boundary between hypochondriasis and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a cross-sectional study from the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Greeven, Anja; van Balkom, Anton J L M; van Rood, Yanda R; van Oppen, Patricia; Spinhoven, Philip

    2006-11-01

    To investigate similarities and differences between the symptom profiles of patients with hypochondriasis and those of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to compare the contamination/cleaning OCD subtype to other OCD subtypes. Between January 1998 and July 2002, 76 patients diagnosed with hypochondriasis (N = 31) or OCD (N = 45) (DSM-IV criteria) and 25 subjects with no formal DSM-IV diagnosis were compared with regard to the extent of diagnosis-specific symptoms, the number and nature of physical symptoms, and whether these symptoms evoked fear. The analyses were repeated after subdividing the OCD patients into the contamination/cleaning and other OCD subgroups. Patients with hypochondriasis and OCD differed significantly from each other on the extent of diagnosis-specific symptoms (all p < .001). Patients with hypochondriasis reported significantly more obsessive-compulsive symptoms and patients with OCD reported significantly more hypochondriacal symptoms than did the healthy control-group members (all p < .05). Neither group differed significantly from the other on the number and nature of feared physical symptoms. The contamination/cleaning OCD subtype did not differ significantly from other OCD subtypes in either the severity of hypochondriacal symptoms or the number of feared physical symptoms. Hypochondriasis and OCD can be distinguished on the basis of diagnosis-specific symptoms, although they share a number of similarities. In addition, although patients with the contamination/cleaning OCD subtype tend to be afraid of contracting diseases, the differences between the symptom profiles of these patients and those of patients with hypochondriasis exceed the similarities. Our results confirm that the 2 conditions are separable and valid diagnoses.

  3. Hypochondriasis and its relationship to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Fallon, B A; Qureshi, A I; Laje, G; Klein, B

    2000-09-01

    Hypochondriasis is a heterogeneous disorder. This was well demonstrated in the study by Kellner et al, which showed that patients with high levels of disease fear tended to be more anxious or phobic, whereas patients with high levels of disease conviction tended to have more and more severe somatic symptoms. Little comorbidity exists to support the statement that hypochondriasis is an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. Although patients exist whose hypochondriac concerns are identical in quality to the intrusive thoughts of patients with OCD, as a group, patients with hypochondriasis do not share a comorbidity profile comparable with that of patients with OCD. The data support a closer relationship between hypochondriasis and somatization disorder than between hypochondriasis and OCD. The family history data is limited by the lack of adequate studies. Using comparable methods of the family history approach, Black's study reported a higher frequency of GAD but not OCD among the relatives of OCD patients--a finding similar to what Noyes found among the relatives of hypochondriac patients; however, using the direct interview method, somatization disorder was the only statistically more common disorder, among relatives of female hypochondriac patients. Therefore, although the parallel in overlap with GAD is suggestive of a commonality between OCD, GAD, and hypochondriasis, the finding of a greater frequency of somatization disorder leans against the hypothesis that hypochondriasis is best considered an OCD spectrum disorder. The pharmacologic treatment data are the one type of biologic evidence that supports a bridge to OCD. The pharmacologic studies suggest that for patients with general hypochondriasis, TCAs are not effective and that higher dosages and longer trials of the SRIs are needed. These pharmacologic observations are comparable with the ones made for patients with OCD but dissimilar to the observations made for depression. The benefit of imipramine

  4. Lamotrigine Augmentation Versus Placebo in Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Khalkhali, Mohammadrasoul; Zarrabi, Homa; Kafie, Moosa; Heidarzadeh, Abtin

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Serotonin reuptake inhibitors are frequently used in first-line treatments for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nevertheless, many of these patients do not respond well to initial therapy. The hypothesis of glutamatergic dysfunction in specific brain regions has been proposed in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This study was designed to evaluate the possible efficacy of lamotrigine, a glutamatergic agent in Serotonin reuptake inhibitors-resistant patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Method: This study was a 12-week, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adjunctive fixed-doses of lamotrigine (100 mg) to Serotonin reuptake inhibitors therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eligible subjects who had a total Y-BOCS of 21 or above were randomly assigned to receive adjunctive treatment with either lamotrigine (n = 26), or placebo (n = 27). Response to lamotrigine was defined as clinical improvement (>25% decrease in the total Y-BOCS score), which was administered at weeks 0, 8 and 12. Results: At the endpoint (week 12), significant differences were observed in obsession, compulsion, and total Y-BOCS scores comparing lamotrigine to placebo (P = 0.01, 0.005 and 0.007 respectively). The mean reduction in obsession, compulsion and total scores in lamotrigine group was about 4.15, 4.50 and 8.73, respectively. Similarly, the mean reductions in the placebo group were 2.52, 2.56 and 5.07. Effect sizes for efficacy measureswerecalculatedbyCohen’sd, and it was calculated as 0.54 for the total YBOCS. Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence that this augmentation is well tolerated and may be an effective strategy for patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder. PMID:27437007

  5. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Insights from animal models☆

    PubMed Central

    Szechtman, Henry; Ahmari, Susanne E.; Beninger, Richard J.; Eilam, David; Harvey, Brian H.; Edemann-Callesen, Henriette; Winter, Christine

    2017-01-01

    Research with animal models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) shows the following: (1) Optogenetic studies in mice provide evidence for a plausible cause-effect relation between increased activity in cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (CBGTC) circuits and OCD by demonstrating the induction of compulsive behavior with the experimental manipulation of the CBGTC circuit. (2) Parallel use of several animal models is a fruitful paradigm to examine the mechanisms of treatment effects of deep brain stimulation in distinct OCD endophenotypes. (3) Features of spontaneous behavior in deer mice constitute a rich platform to investigate the neurobiology of OCD, social ramifications of a compulsive phenotype, and test novel drugs. (4) Studies in animal models for psychiatric disorders comorbid with OCD suggest comorbidity may involve shared neural circuits controlling expression of compulsive behavior. (5) Analysis of compulsive behavior into its constitutive components provides evidence from an animal model for a motivational perspective on OCD. (6) Methods of behavioral analysis in an animal model translate to dissection of compulsive rituals in OCD patients, leading to diagnostic tests. PMID:27168347

  6. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits and personality dimensions in parents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Calvo, Rosa; Lázaro, Luisa; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina; Font, Elena; Moreno, Elena; Toro, J

    2009-04-01

    To compare patterns of temperament and character and the prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and OCPD traits in parents of children with OCD and parents of healthy controls. TCI and SCID-II were administered to 63 parents of 32 children with OCD and 63 parents of age- and sex-matched controls with no psychiatric diagnosis. Interviewers were not blind to proband status. Personality dimension scores and frequencies of OCPD criteria in both groups were compared after excluding parents with a diagnosis of OCD. Relationships between TCI dimensions and OCPD symptoms in parents and the clinical characteristics of OCD children were also studied. Parents of OCD children presented significantly higher scores in harm avoidance and lower scores in self-directedness, cooperativeness and reward dependence than parents of healthy children. A higher incidence of OCPD was found in parents of probands (p<0.02). Hoarding, perfectionism and preoccupation with details were significantly more frequent in parents of OCD children. Counting, ordering and cleaning compulsions in OCD children predicted elevated odds of perfectionism and rigidity in their parents. The existence of the dimensional personality profile associated with OCD in parents of children with OCD and the higher number of OCPD criteria in these parents in comparison to parents of healthy children highlight the importance of the role of personality factors in familial OCD.

  7. Understanding the Association of Impulsivity, Obsessions, and Compulsions with Binge Eating and Purging Behaviors in Anorexia Nervosa

    PubMed Central

    Hoffman, Elizabeth R.; Gagne, Danielle A.; Thornton, Laura M.; Klump, Kelly L.; Brandt, Harry; Crawford, Steve; Fichter, Manfred M.; Halmi, Katherine A.; Johnson, Craig; Jones, Ian; Kaplan, Allan S.; Mitchell, James E.; Strober, Michael; Treasure, Janet; Woodside, D. Blake; Berrettini, Wade H.; Kaye, Walter H.; Bulik, Cynthia M.

    2012-01-01

    Objective To further refine our understanding of impulsivity, obsessions, and compulsions in anorexia nervosa (AN) by isolating which behaviors—binge eating, purging, or both—are associated with these features. Methods We conducted regression analyses with binge eating, purging, and the interaction of binge eating with purging as individual predictors of scores for impulsivity, obsessions, and compulsions in two samples of women with AN (n = 1373). Results Purging, but not binge eating, was associated with higher scores of impulsivity, obsessions and compulsions. Purging was also associated with worst eating rituals and with worst eating preoccupations. Conclusion Our results suggest that purging, compared with binge eating, may be a stronger correlate of impulsivity, obsessions, and compulsions in AN. PMID:22351620

  8. Autism spectrum disorders in adult outpatients with obsessive compulsive disorder in the UK.

    PubMed

    Wikramanayake, Waduge Nishani Maheshi; Mandy, William; Shahper, Sonia; Kaur, Sukhwinder; Kolli, Sangeetha; Osman, Selma; Reid, Jemma; Jefferies-Sewell, Kiri; Fineberg, Naomi Anne

    2018-03-01

    Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently show traits of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This is one of the first studies to explore the clinical impact of the overlap between OCD and ASD as a categorical diagnosis. A cross-sectional survey in 73 adult outpatients with DSM-IV OCD. Autistic traits were measured using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). A clinical estimate ASD diagnosis was made by interview using DSM-IV-TR criteria. OCD patients with and without autistic traits or ASD were compared on demographic and clinical parameters and level of OCD treatment-resistance based on treatment history. Thirty-four (47%) patients scored above the clinical threshold on the AQ (≥26) and 21 (27.8%) met diagnostic criteria for ASD. These diagnoses had not been made before. Patients with autistic traits showed a borderline significant increase in OCD symptom-severity (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS); p = .054) and significantly increased impairment of insight (Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale; p = .01). There was a positive correlation between AQ and Y-BOCS scores (p = .04), but not with OCD treatment resistance. There is a high prevalence of previously undiagnosed ASD in patients with OCD. ASD traits are associated with greater OCD symptom-severity and poor insight.

  9. N-Acetyl Cysteine in the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Oliver, Georgina; Dean, Olivia; Camfield, David; Blair-West, Scott; Ng, Chee; Berk, Michael; Sarris, Jerome

    2015-01-01

    Objective Obsessive compulsive and related disorders are a collection of debilitating psychiatric disorders in which the role of glutamate dysfunction in the underpinning neurobiology is becoming well established. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a glutamate modulator with promising therapeutic effect. This paper presents a systematic review of clinical trials and case reports exploring the use of NAC for these disorders. A further objective was to detail the methodology of current clinical trials being conducted in the area. Methods PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library Database were searched for human clinical trials or case reports investigating NAC in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or obsessive compulsive related disorders. Researchers with known involvement in NAC studies were contacted for any unpublished data. Results Four clinical trials and five case reports/series were identified. Study durations were commonly 12-weeks, using 2,400–3,000 mg/day of NAC. Overall, NAC demonstrates activity in reducing the severity of symptoms, with a good tolerability profile and minimal adverse effects. Currently there are three ongoing randomized controlled trials using NAC for OCD (two adults and one pediatric), and one for excoriation. Conclusion Encouraging results have been demonstrated from the few pilot studies that have been conducted. These results are detailed, in addition to a discussion of future potential research. PMID:25912534

  10. Decisional impulsivity and the associative-limbic subthalamic nucleus in obsessive-compulsive disorder: stimulation and connectivity

    PubMed Central

    Voon, Valerie; Droux, Fabien; Morris, Laurel; Chabardes, Stephan; Bougerol, Thierry; David, Olivier; Krack, Paul; Polosan, Mircea

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Why do we make hasty decisions for short-term gain? Rapid decision-making with limited accumulation of evidence and delay discounting are forms of decisional impulsivity. The subthalamic nucleus is implicated in inhibitory function but its role in decisional impulsivity is less well-understood. Here we assess decisional impulsivity in subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder who have undergone deep brain stimulation of the limbic and associative subthalamic nucleus. We show that stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus is causally implicated in increasing decisional impulsivity with less accumulation of evidence during probabilistic uncertainty and in enhancing delay discounting. Subthalamic stimulation shifts evidence accumulation in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder towards a functional less cautious style closer to that of healthy controls emphasizing its adaptive nature. Thus, subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder on subthalamic stimulation may be less likely to check for evidence (e.g. checking that the stove is on) with no difference in subjective confidence (or doubt). In a separate study, we replicate in humans (154 healthy controls) using resting state functional connectivity, tracing studies conducted in non-human primates dissociating limbic, associative and motor frontal hyper-direct connectivity with anterior and posterior subregions of the subthalamic nucleus. We show lateralization of functional connectivity of bilateral ventral striatum to right anterior ventromedial subthalamic nucleus consistent with previous observations of lateralization of emotionally evoked activity to right ventral subthalamic nucleus. We use a multi-echo sequence with independent components analysis, which has been shown to have enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, thus optimizing visualization of small subcortical structures. These findings in healthy controls converge with the effective contacts in obsessive compulsive disorder patients localized

  11. Obsessive-compulsive severity spectrum in the community: prevalence, comorbidity, and course.

    PubMed

    Angst, Jules; Gamma, Alex; Endrass, Jerome; Goodwin, Renee; Ajdacic, Vladeta; Eich, Dominique; Rössler, Wulf

    2004-06-01

    To describe lifetime prevalence rates, course and comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive-compulsive syndromes (OCS) and OC-symptoms (OC-sx) up to age 41. In the Zurich community cohort study 591 subjects were selected after screening at the age of 19 and studied prospectively by 6 interviews from 20 to 40; they represent 1599 subjects of the normal population. The diagnoses of OCD met DSM-IV criteria. Course was assessed by graphic illustrations and prospective data. The lifetime prevalence rate was 3.5 % for OCD (males 1.7%, females 5.4 %) and 8.7 % for OCS (males 9.9%, females 7.5 %). The onset of OC-sx was 18 years (median); and in 70% before age 20. OCD was treated in one third of cases, OCS in 6.1%. The course of symptoms was chronic in 60%,but OCD and OCS showed in most cases considerable improvements over time. OCD reduced quality of life mostly in the subject's psychological wellbeing and at work but to a considerable extent also in other social roles. Comorbidity was prominent with bipolar disorder, panic disorder and social phobia and also significant with bulimia, binge eating, generalized anxiety disorder and suicide attempts; there was no association with substance abuse/dependence. OCD and OCD are manifestations of a wide spectrum of severity with high prevalence and strong clinical validity. The long-term course is better than generally assumed.

  12. The PANDAS subgroup of tic disorders and childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Martino, Davide; Defazio, Giovanni; Giovannoni, Gavin

    2009-12-01

    Diagnosis and treatment of the PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) variant of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) and childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are still controversial issues. Most cross-sectional studies confirm a significant association between GTS and the development of an immune response against group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS). Moreover, longitudinal retrospective studies suggest that a recent exposure to GABHS might be a risk factor for the onset of tics and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. However, further evidence from longitudinal prospective research is needed to verify whether a temporal association between GABHS infections and symptom exacerbations is a useful and reliable criterion for the diagnosis of PANDAS. In addition, preliminary results suggest that the PANDAS spectrum might be enlarged to include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Although a number of immunological biomarkers have been proposed as markers of the PANDAS variant, at present, none of these has been conclusively proved useful to diagnose and monitor disease course in children with a suspicion of PANDAS. Finally, despite their empirical use in community settings, we still lack conclusive, evidence-based data regarding the usefulness of antibiotic and immunomodulatory treatments in children with PANDAS. Given the relevance of this topic for general pediatric health, additional research efforts to solve all the pending issues and the hottest points of debate are warranted.

  13. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a randomized, double-blind study with olanzapine or risperidone in young patients with early psychosis.

    PubMed

    van Nimwegen, Lonneke; de Haan, Lieuwe; van Beveren, Nico; Laan, Winfried; van den Brink, Wim; Linszen, Don

    2008-04-01

    The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in patients with schizophrenia is relatively high. Antipsychotics have been found to influence OCS. To determine whether induction or severity of OCS differs during treatment with olanzapine or risperidone in young patients with early psychosis. One hundred twenty-two patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform disorder were randomized in a double-blind design to groups of 6 weeks' treatment with olanzapine (n = 59) or risperidone (n = 63), with a mean dose of 11.3 mg olanzapine and 3.0 mg risperidone at 6 weeks. Primary outcome measures were the mean baseline-to-endpoint change in total score on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Treatment with olanzapine was associated with greater decreases in Y-BOCS total score than treatment with risperidone in total group (N = 122: -2.2 vs -0.3, z = -2.651, P < 0.01), in patients with baseline Y-BOCS total score greater than 0 (n = 58: -5.1 vs -0.4, z = -2.717, P < 0.01), and in patients with baseline Y-BOCS total score greater than 10 (n = 29: -7.1 vs -0.6, z = -2.138, P = 0.032). In this randomized, 6-week, double-blind trial, we found a significant and clinically relevant difference in decrease in Y-BOCS scores favoring olanzapine compared with risperidone.

  14. The association between obsessive compulsive disorder and obsessive compulsive personality disorder: prevalence and clinical presentation.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Olivia M; Salkovskis, Paul M; Oldfield, Victoria B; Carter, Natalie

    2013-09-01

    The relationship between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) has been the subject of interest for some time due to the historical assumption that OCPD causes OCD. This study systematically examined the association between OCD and OCPD in terms of prevalence and clinical presentation. The specificity of the association between OCD and OCPD was investigated relative to another axis I anxiety disorder (Panic disorder). Data for this study were drawn from measures taken at initial assessment at a specialist treatment centre for anxiety disorders. Of the 359 participants included in this study, 189 had a principal diagnosis of OCD, while 170 had a principal diagnosis of Panic disorder. Measures included SCID I and II interview modules and self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and OCD syptomatology. Significantly elevated rates of OCPD were found in OCD relative to Panic disorder. Regardless of axis I disorder, individuals with comorbid OCPD reported more severe depression relative to those without. Participants with both OCD and OCPD had greater self-reported OCD symptom severity, doubting, ordering, and hoarding symptoms at assessment relative to those without OCPD. Participants with OCD and comorbid OCPD also reported significantly higher levels of alcohol consumption. There appears to be a significant and specific association between OCD and OCPD. Co-occurring OCD and OCPD is associated with greater severity of impairment in terms of certain OCD symptoms. The significant and specific association between OCD and OCPD suggests that OCPD occurs more frequently with OCD than previously suggested. A comorbid OCPD diagnosis is associated with a greater degree of depression, regardless of axis I disorder, either OCD or Panic disorder. This is an important consideration, as depression can interfere with therapeutic progress (Foa, 1979). Participants with OCD and OCPD had greater self-reported OCD severity, along

  15. Enhanced Avoidance Habits in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Gillan, Claire M.; Morein-Zamir, Sharon; Urcelay, Gonzalo P.; Sule, Akeem; Voon, Valerie; Apergis-Schoute, Annemieke M.; Fineberg, Naomi A.; Sahakian, Barbara J.; Robbins, Trevor W.

    2014-01-01

    Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric condition that typically manifests in compulsive urges to perform irrational or excessive avoidance behaviors. A recent account has suggested that compulsivity in OCD might arise from excessive stimulus-response habit formation, rendering behavior insensitive to goal value. We tested if OCD patients have a bias toward habits using a novel shock avoidance task. To explore how habits, as a putative model of compulsivity, might relate to obsessions and anxiety, we recorded measures of contingency knowledge, explicit fear, and physiological arousal. Methods Twenty-five OCD patients and 25 control subjects completed a shock avoidance task designed to induce habits through overtraining, which were identified using goal-devaluation. The relationship between habitual behavior, erroneous cognitions, and physiological arousal was assessed using behavior, questionnaires, subjective report, and skin conductance responses. Results A devaluation sensitivity test revealed that both groups could inhibit unnecessary behavioral responses before overtraining. Following overtraining, OCD patients showed greater avoidance habits than control subjects. Groups did not differ in conditioned arousal (skin conductance responses) at any stage. Additionally, groups did not differ in contingency knowledge or explicit ratings of shock expectancy following the habit test. Habit responses were associated with a subjective urge to respond. Conclusions These data indicate that OCD patients have a tendency to develop excessive avoidance habits, providing support for a habit account of OCD. Future research is needed to fully characterize the causal role of physiological arousal and explicit fear in habit formation in OCD. PMID:23510580

  16. Secondary Psychometric Examination of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Classical Testing, Item Response Theory, and Differential Item Functioning.

    PubMed

    Thibodeau, Michel A; Leonard, Rachel C; Abramowitz, Jonathan S; Riemann, Bradley C

    2015-12-01

    The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a promising measure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms but has received minimal psychometric attention. We evaluated the utility and reliability of DOCS scores. The study included 832 students and 300 patients with OCD. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the originally proposed four-factor structure. DOCS total and subscale scores exhibited good to excellent internal consistency in both samples (α = .82 to α = .96). Patient DOCS total scores reduced substantially during treatment (t = 16.01, d = 1.02). DOCS total scores discriminated between students and patients (sensitivity = 0.76, 1 - specificity = 0.23). The measure did not exhibit gender-based differential item functioning as tested by Mantel-Haenszel chi-square tests. Expected response options for each item were plotted as a function of item response theory and demonstrated that DOCS scores incrementally discriminate OCD symptoms ranging from low to extremely high severity. Incremental differences in DOCS scores appear to represent unbiased and reliable differences in true OCD symptom severity. © The Author(s) 2014.

  17. Cognitive psychopathology in Schizophrenia: Comparing memory performances with Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and normal subjects on the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV.

    PubMed

    Cammisuli, Davide Maria; Sportiello, Marco Timpano

    2016-06-01

    Memory system turns out to be one of the cognitive domains most severely impaired in schizophrenia. Within the theoretical framework of cognitive psychopathology, we compared the performance of schizophrenia patients on the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV with that in matched patients with Obsessive-compulsive disorder and that in healthy control subjects to establish the specific nature of memory deficits in schizophrenia. 30 schizophrenia patients, 30 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and 40 healthy controls completed the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV. Schizophrenia symptom severity was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Performances on memory battery including Indexes and subtests scores were compared by a One-Way ANOVA (Scheffé post-hoc test). Spearman Rank correlations were performed between scores on PANSS subscales and symptoms and WMS-IV Indexes and subtests, respectively. Schizophrenia patients showed a memory profile characterized by mild difficulties in auditory memory and visual working memory and poor functioning of visual, immediate and delayed memory. As expected, schizophrenia patients scored lower than healthy controls on all WMS-IV measures. With regard to the WMS-IV Indexes, schizophrenia patients performed worse on Auditory Memory, Visual Memory, Immediate and Delayed Memory than Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients but not on Visual Working Memory. Such a pattern was made even clearer for specific tasks such as immediate and delayed recall and spatial recall and memory for visual details, as revealed by the lowest scores on Logical Memory (immediate and delayed conditions) and Designs (immediate condition) subtests, respectively. Significant negative correlations between Logical Memory I and II were found with PANSS Excitement symptom as well as between DE I and PANSS Tension symptom. Significant positive correlations between LM II and PANSS Blunted affect and Poor rapport symptoms as well as DE I and PANSS Blunted affect

  18. Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2012

    2012-01-01

    Research in etiology, neurobiology, genetics, clinical correlates, and evidence-based treatments in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder indicate a need for the revision of the Practice Parameters for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder first published a decade ago. The…

  19. Behavioral versus Cognitive Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Examination of Outcome and Mediators of Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olatunji, Bunmi O.; Rosenfield, David; Tart, Candyce D.; Cottraux, Jean; Powers, Mark B.; Smits, Jasper A. J.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To examine symptom change over time, the effect of attrition on treatment outcome, and the putative mediators of cognitive therapy (CT) versus behavior therapy (BT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using archival data. Method: Sixty-two adults with OCD were randomized to 20 sessions of CT (N = 30) or BT (N = 32) that consisted of…

  20. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Trevizol, Alisson Paulino; Shiozawa, Pedro; Cook, Ian A; Sato, Isa Albuquerque; Kaku, Caio Barbosa; Guimarães, Fernanda Bs; Sachdev, Perminder; Sarkhel, Sujit; Cordeiro, Quirino

    2016-12-01

    Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a promising noninvasive brain stimulation intervention. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been proposed for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with auspicious results. To assess the efficacy of TMS for OCD in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Systematic review using MEDLINE and EMBASE from the first RCT available until March 11, 2016. The main outcome was the Hedges g for continuous scores for Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale in a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was evaluated with the I and the χ test. Publication bias was evaluated using the Begg funnel plot. Metaregression was performed using the random-effects model modified by Knapp and Hartung. We included 15 RCTs (n = 483), most had small-to-modest sample sizes. Comparing active versus sham TMS, active stimulation was significantly superior for OCD symptoms (Hedges g = 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.71). The funnel plot showed that the risk of publication bias was low and between-study heterogeneity was low (I = 43%, P = 0.039 for the χ test). Metaregression showed no particular influence of any variable on the results. Transcranial magnetic stimulation active was superior to sham stimulation for the amelioration of OCD symptoms. Trials had moderate heterogeneity results, despite different protocols of stimulation used. Further RCTs with larger sample sizes are fundamentally needed to clarify the precise impact of TMS in OCD symptoms.

  1. Predictors of Treatment Response in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginsburg, Golda S.; Kingery, Julie Newman; Drake, Kelly L.; Grados, Marco A.

    2008-01-01

    The study examines predictors of treatment response in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is a severe mental illness causing distress and impaired functioning. Summarized findings of psychosocial factors and medication interventions are presented.

  2. Cigarette smoking in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder: a report from the International College of Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS).

    PubMed

    Dell'Osso, Bernardo; Nicolini, Humberto; Lanzagorta, Nuria; Benatti, Beatrice; Spagnolin, Gregorio; Palazzo, M Carlotta; Marazziti, Donatella; Hollander, Eric; Fineberg, Naomi; Stein, Dan J; Pallanti, Stefano; Van Ameringen, Michael; Lochner, Christine; Hranov, Georgi; Karamustafalioglu, Oguz; Hranov, Luchezar; Zohar, Joseph; Denys, Damiaan; Altamura, A Carlo; Menchon, Jose M

    2015-10-01

    Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) showed a lower prevalence of cigarette smoking compared to other psychiatric disorders in previous and recent reports. We assessed the prevalence and clinical correlates of the phenomenon in an international sample of 504 OCD patients recruited through the International College of Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS) network. Cigarette smoking showed a cross-sectional prevalence of 24.4% in the sample, with significant differences across countries. Females were more represented among smoking patients (16% vs 7%; p<.001). Patients with comorbid Tourette's syndrome (p<.05) and tic disorder (p<.05) were also more represented among smoking subjects. Former smokers reported a higher number of suicide attempts (p<.05). We found a lower cross-sectional prevalence of smoking among OCD patients compared to findings from previous studies in patients with other psychiatric disorders but higher compared to previous and more recent OCD studies. Geographic differences were found and smoking was more common in females and comorbid Tourette's syndrome/tic disorder.

  3. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy evidence for occipital involvement in treatment-naive paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Ljungberg, Maria; Nilsson, Marie K L; Melin, Karin; Jönsson, Lars; Carlsson, Arvid; Carlsson, Åsa; Forssell-Aronsson, Eva; Ivarsson, Tord; Carlsson, Maria; Starck, Göran

    2017-06-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder leading to considerable distress and disability. Therapies are effective in a majority of paediatric patients, however, many only get partial response. It is therefore important to study the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to study the concentration of brain metabolites in four different locations (cingulate gyrus and sulcus, occipital cortex, thalamus and right caudate nucleus). Treatment-naive children and adolescents with OCD (13 subjects) were compared with a group of healthy age- and gender-matched subjects (11 subjects). Multivariate analyses were performed on the concentration values. No separation between controls and patients was found. However, a correlation between metabolite concentrations and symptom severity as measured with the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) was found. Strongest was the correlation with the CY-BOCS obsession subscore and aspartate and choline in the caudate nucleus (positively correlated with obsessions), lipids at 2 and 0.9 ppm in thalamus, and occipital glutamate+glutamine, N-acetylaspartate and myo-inosytol (negatively correlated with obsessions). The observed correlations between 1H MRS and CY-BOCS in treatment-naive patients further supports an occipital involvement in OCD. The results are consistent with our previous study on adult OCD patients. The 1H MRS data were not supportive of a separation between the patient and control groups.

  4. Quality of life and burden in caregivers of youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder presenting for intensive treatment

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Monica S.; Hamblin, Rebecca; Nadeau, Joshua; Simmons, Jessica; Smith, Ashley; Wilson, Meredith; Eken, Stephanie; Small, Brent; Phares, Vicky; Storch, Eric A.

    2018-01-01

    Background Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with deleterious familial effects; caregivers are often enmeshed in the disorder and can experience considerable burden and decreased quality of life (QoL). Consequently, this study examined burden and QoL in caregivers of youth with OCD enrolled in an intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization program. Method The relationships between caregiver QoL and burden and the following variables were investigated: OCD symptom severity, functioning (youth functional impairment, general family functioning), family (family accommodation, parental relationship satisfaction, positive aspects of caregiving), and comorbid psychopathology (caregiver anxiety and depressive symptoms, youth internalizing and externalizing behaviors). Seventy-two child and caregiver dyads completed clinician- and self-rated questionnaires. Results Components of caregiver QoL correlated with caregiver-rated functional impairment, family accommodation, youth externalizing behaviors, and caregiver psychopathology. Aspects of caregiver burden correlated with child OCD symptom severity, functional impairment related to OCD, as well as caregiver and child comorbid psychopathology. Caregiver depressive symptoms predicted caregiver QoL, and caregiver depressive symptoms and child externalizing symptoms both predicted caregiver burden. Caregiver burden did not mediate the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and caregiver QoL. Conclusion Ultimately, elucidating factors associated with increased caregiver burden and poorer QoL is pertinent for identifying at-risk families and developing targeted interventions. PMID:29031217

  5. A 5-year course of predominantly obsessive vs. mixed subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Math, S. B.; Thoduguli, Jaideep; Janardhan Reddy, Y. C.; Manoj, P. N.; Zutshi, A.; Rajkumar, R. P.; Adarsh, A. M.

    2007-01-01

    Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered a heterogeneous disorder. One of the traditional approaches to subtype OCD is based on the predominance of obsessions, compulsions or both. Some studies suggest that the “predominantly obsessive” subtype of OCD may have poor outcome, whereas few other studies suggest that “mixed” OCD is associated with poor outcome. Therefore, it is not clear if the long-term course of “predominantly obsessive” subjects is different from those with “mixed” OCD. In the establishment of diagnostic validity of psychiatric conditions, differential course is an important validating factor. Aim: This study compares the 5-6 year course of the “predominantly obsessive” subtype with that of the “mixed” subtype of OCD with the objective of determining if the course of OCD differs according to subtypes and whether course could be a validating factor for subtyping OCD based on predominance of obsessions, compulsions or both. Setting and Design: Tertiary hospital, institutional setting. The study has a retrospective cohort design. Materials and Methods: Fifty-four subjects with “predominantly obsessions” and an equal number of the “mixed” subtype of OCD were recruited from the database of a specialty OCD clinic of a major psychiatric hospital. They were followed up after 5-6 years. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) checklist and severity rating scale was used for assessing OCD. The course of OCD was determined according to predefined criteria. Statistics: The Chi-square/Fisher's exact test and the independent samples “t” test were used to compare categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Correlations were tested using the Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: Thirty-eight “predominantly obsessive” (70%) and 39 “mixed” (72%) OCD subjects could be traced and evaluated. The course of illness was similar in the two subtypes. A majority of the sample (72%) did not

  6. A pilot study of telephone cognitive-behavioural therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder in young people.

    PubMed

    Turner, Cynthia; Heyman, Isobel; Futh, Annabel; Lovell, Karina

    2009-07-01

    Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) is the recommended psychological treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people. Access to CBT may be limited by a number of factors, including lack of trained therapists, and geographic or financial factors preventing access to a specialized service. Telephone delivery of CBT represents one way of overcoming some of these accessibility issues. This pilot study describes outcomes for a telephone-based cognitive-behavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people. Ten participants, aged 13 to 17 years, and their parents received up to 16 sessions of telephone CBT (TCBT). Measures of OCD symptoms were obtained using multiple informants and a repeated measures design. Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Improvements were found for OCD symptoms across all informants. Family satisfaction with treatment over the telephone was high. The findings suggest that TCBT is a clinically effective, feasible and acceptable means of service delivery that offers the potential to make CBT a more accessible treatment for young people. TCBT requires further evaluation in randomized, controlled trials to compare effectiveness with face-to-face CBT, which currently represents the usual care model.

  7. Neural response in obsessive-compulsive washers depends on individual fit of triggers

    PubMed Central

    Baioui, Ali; Pilgramm, Juliane; Merz, Christian J.; Walter, Bertram; Vaitl, Dieter; Stark, Rudolf

    2013-01-01

    Background: Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have highly idiosyncratic triggers. To fully understand which role this idiosyncrasy plays in the neurobiological mechanisms behind OCD, it is necessary to elucidate the impact of individualization regarding the applied investigation methods. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study explores the neural correlates of contamination/washing-related OCD with a highly individualized symptom provocation paradigm. Additionally, it is the first study to directly compare individualized and standardized symptom provocation. Methods: Nineteen patients with washing compulsions created individual OCD hierarchies, which later served as instructions to photograph their own individualized stimulus sets. The patients and 19 case-by-case matched healthy controls participated in a symptom provocation fMRI experiment with individualized and standardized stimulus sets created for each patient. Results: OCD patients compared to healthy controls displayed stronger activation in the basal ganglia (nucleus accumbens, nucleus caudatus, pallidum) for individualized symptom provocation. Using standardized symptom provocation, this group comparison led to stronger activation in the nucleus caudatus. The direct comparison of between-group effects for both symptom provocation approaches revealed stronger activation of the orbitofronto-striatal network for individualized symptom provocation. Conclusions: The present study provides insight into the differential impact of individualized and standardized symptom provocation on the orbitofronto-striatal network of OCD washers. Behavioral and neural responses imply a higher symptom-specificity of individualized symptom provocation. PMID:23630478

  8. Cross-Disorder Genetic Analysis of Tic Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Hoarding Symptoms.

    PubMed

    Zilhão, Nuno R; Smit, Dirk J; Boomsma, Dorret I; Cath, Danielle C

    2016-01-01

    Hoarding, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Tourette's disorder (TD) are psychiatric disorders that share symptom overlap, which might partly be the result of shared genetic variation. Population-based twin studies have found significant genetic correlations between hoarding and OCD symptoms, with genetic correlations varying between 0.1 and 0.45. For tic disorders, studies examining these correlations are lacking. Other lines of research, including clinical samples and GWAS or CNV data to explore genetic relationships between tic disorders and OCD, have only found very modest if any shared genetic variation. Our aim was to extend current knowledge on the genetic structure underlying hoarding, OC symptoms (OCS), and lifetime tic symptoms and, in a trivariate analysis, assess the degree of common and unique genetic factors contributing to the etiology of these disorders. Data have been gathered from participants in the Netherlands Twin Register comprising a total of 5293 individuals from a sample of adult monozygotic (n = 2460) and dizygotic (n = 2833) twin pairs (mean age 33.61 years). The data on Hoarding, OCS, and tic symptoms were simultaneously analyzed in Mplus. A liability threshold model was fitted to the twin data, analyzing heritability of phenotypes and of their comorbidity. Following the criteria for a probable clinical diagnosis in all phenotypes, 6.8% of participants had a diagnosis of probable hoarding disorder (HD), 6.3% of OCS, and 12.8% of any probable lifetime tic disorder. Genetic factors explained 50.4, 70.1, and 61.1% of the phenotypic covariance between hoarding-OCS, hoarding-tics, and OCS-tics, respectively. Substantial genetic correlations were observed between hoarding and OCS (0.41), hoarding and tics (0.35), and between OCS and tics (0.37). These results support the contribution of genetic factors in the development of these disorders and their comorbidity. Furthermore, tics were mostly influenced by specific

  9. Heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a literature review.

    PubMed

    Lochner, Christine; Stein, Dan J

    2003-01-01

    Significant advances have been made in characterizing the phenomenology and psychobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in recent years. In many ways, such advances suggest a conceptualization of OCD as a relatively homogeneous neuropsychiatric entity, underpinned by particular mechanisms that manifest in universal symptoms. Nevertheless, some data have pointed to the heterogeneity of this disorder. A computerized literature search (MEDLINE: 1964-2001) was used to collect studies addressing the heterogeneity of OCD. In addition, reviews of the phenomenology, psychobiology, family studies, and treatment of OCD were examined in an attempt to collate data addressing this issue. There is a growing consensus that some subtypes of OCD are valid and provide a useful means of integrating data on its symptomatology, neurobiology, and treatment response; for example, OCD with comorbid tics is characterized by earlier onset, a particular range of OCD symptoms, and worse response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The heterogeneity of OCD has important clinical and research implications.

  10. Translational approaches to obsessive-compulsive disorder: from animal models to clinical treatment

    PubMed Central

    Fineberg, NA; Chamberlain, SR; Hollander, E; Boulougouris, V; Robbins, TW

    2011-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive ritualistic behaviours) leading to functional impairment. Accumulating evidence links these conditions with underlying dysregulation of fronto-striatal circuitry and monoamine systems. These abnormalities represent key targets for existing and novel treatment interventions. However, the brain bases of these conditions and treatment mechanisms are still not fully elucidated. Animal models simulating the behavioural and clinical manifestations of the disorder show great potential for augmenting our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of OCD. This paper provides an overview of what is known about OCD from several perspectives. We begin by describing the clinical features of OCD and the criteria used to assess the validity of animal models of symptomatology; namely, face validity (phenomenological similarity between inducing conditions and specific symptoms of the human phenomenon), predictive validity (similarity in response to treatment) and construct validity (similarity in underlying physiological or psychological mechanisms). We then survey animal models of OC spectrum conditions within this framework, focusing on (i) ethological models; (ii) genetic and pharmacological models; and (iii) neurobehavioural models. We also discuss their advantages and shortcomings in relation to their capacity to identify potentially efficacious new compounds. It is of interest that there has been rather little evidence of ‘false alarms’ for therapeutic drug effects in OCD models which actually fail in the clinic. While it is more difficult to model obsessive cognition than compulsive behaviour in experimental animals, it is feasible to infer cognitive inflexibility in certain animal paradigms. Finally, key future neurobiological and treatment research areas are highlighted. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Translational

  11. A Preliminary Investigation of Pathways to Inflated Responsibility Beliefs in Children with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Collins, Lindsey M; Coles, Meredith E

    2018-05-01

    Cognitive theorists posit that inflated responsibility beliefs contribute to the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Salkovskis et al. (1999) proposed that experiencing heightened responsibility, overprotective parents and rigid rules, and thinking one influenced or caused a negative life event act as 'pathways' to the development of inflated responsibility beliefs, thereby increasing risk for OCD. Studies in adults with OCD and non-clinical adolescents support the link between these experiences and responsibility beliefs (Coles et al., 2015; Halvaiepour and Nosratabadi, 2015), but the theory has never been tested in youth with current OCD. We provided an initial test of the theory by Salkovskis et al. (1999) in youth with OCD. We predicted that childhood experiences proposed by Salkovskis et al. (1999) would correlate positively with responsibility and harm beliefs and OCD symptom severity. Twenty youth with OCD (age 9‒16 years) completed a new child-report measure of the experiences hypothesized by Salkovskis et al. (1999), the Pathways to Inflated Responsibility Beliefs Scale-Child Version (PIRBS-CV). Youth also completed the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-Child Version (Coles et al., 2010) and the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (Foa et al., 2010). Consistent with hypotheses, the PIRBS-CV was significantly related to responsibility and harm beliefs and OCD symptom severity. Results provide initial support for the theory proposed by Salkovskis et al. (1999) as applied to youth with OCD. Future studies are needed to further assess the model in early-onset OCD.

  12. Using Family-Based Exposure With Response Prevention to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Young Children: A Case Study.

    PubMed

    Herren, Jenny; Freeman, Jennifer; Garcia, Abbe

    2016-11-01

    Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) using exposure with response prevention (ERP) is the treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, developmental modifications should be considered when treating young children. This article presents a case study illustrating family-based CBT using ERP with a 7-year-old boy. The delivery of ERP for this case was guided by 3 main principles: (a) family involvement with a focus on reducing family accommodation, (b) understanding the functional relation between the client's obsessions and compulsions, and (c) creating conditions to facilitate habituation during exposure. Outcomes for this case indicate significant improvement in functioning and OCD symptoms. Results highlight the importance of family involvement and the applicability of using a function-based habituation framework when delivering ERP to this unique population. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Psychosocial Stress Predicts Future Symptom Severities in Children and Adolescents with Tourette Syndrome and/or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Haiqun; Katsovich, Liliya; Ghebremichael, Musie; Findley, Diane B.; Grantz, Heidi; Lombroso, Paul J.; King, Robert A.; Zhang, Heping; Leckman, James F.

    2007-01-01

    Background: The goals of this prospective longitudinal study were to monitor levels of psychosocial stress in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome (TS) and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) compared to healthy control subjects and to examine the relationship between measures of psychosocial stress and fluctuations in tic,…

  14. Decisional impulsivity and the associative-limbic subthalamic nucleus in obsessive-compulsive disorder: stimulation and connectivity.

    PubMed

    Voon, Valerie; Droux, Fabien; Morris, Laurel; Chabardes, Stephan; Bougerol, Thierry; David, Olivier; Krack, Paul; Polosan, Mircea

    2017-02-01

    Why do we make hasty decisions for short-term gain? Rapid decision-making with limited accumulation of evidence and delay discounting are forms of decisional impulsivity. The subthalamic nucleus is implicated in inhibitory function but its role in decisional impulsivity is less well-understood. Here we assess decisional impulsivity in subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder who have undergone deep brain stimulation of the limbic and associative subthalamic nucleus. We show that stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus is causally implicated in increasing decisional impulsivity with less accumulation of evidence during probabilistic uncertainty and in enhancing delay discounting. Subthalamic stimulation shifts evidence accumulation in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder towards a functional less cautious style closer to that of healthy controls emphasizing its adaptive nature. Thus, subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder on subthalamic stimulation may be less likely to check for evidence (e.g. checking that the stove is on) with no difference in subjective confidence (or doubt). In a separate study, we replicate in humans (154 healthy controls) using resting state functional connectivity, tracing studies conducted in non-human primates dissociating limbic, associative and motor frontal hyper-direct connectivity with anterior and posterior subregions of the subthalamic nucleus. We show lateralization of functional connectivity of bilateral ventral striatum to right anterior ventromedial subthalamic nucleus consistent with previous observations of lateralization of emotionally evoked activity to right ventral subthalamic nucleus. We use a multi-echo sequence with independent components analysis, which has been shown to have enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, thus optimizing visualization of small subcortical structures. These findings in healthy controls converge with the effective contacts in obsessive compulsive disorder patients localized within the

  15. Validation of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Severity Scale in African Americans with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Williams, Monnica T; Wetterneck, Chad T; Thibodeau, Michel A; Duque, Gerardo

    2013-09-30

    The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is widely used in the assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but the psychometric properties of the instrument have not been examined in African Americans with OCD. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the properties of the Y-BOCS severity scale in this population. Participants were 75 African American adults with a lifetime diagnosis of OCD. They completed the Y-BOCS, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). Evaluators rated OCD severity using the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) and their global assessment of functioning (GAF). The Y-BOCS was significantly correlated with both the CGI and GAF, indicating convergent validity. It also demonstrated good internal consistency (α=0.83) and divergent validity when compared to the BAI and BDI-II. Confirmatory factor analyses tested five previously reported models and supported a three-factor solution, although no model exhibited excellent fit. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, supporting a three-factor solution. A linear regression was conducted, predicting CGI from the three factors of the Y-BOCS and the MEIM, and the model was significant. The Y-BOCS appears to be a valid measure for African American populations. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Influence of Culture in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Its Treatment

    PubMed Central

    Nicolini, Humberto; Salin-Pascual, Rafael; Cabrera, Brenda; Lanzagorta, Nuria

    2017-01-01

    Background: The aspects of cultural identity and its impact on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been un-derstudied. There are different opinions, ranging from the idea that culture does not affect the symptoms of this condition to the idea that cultures with high religiosity may have more severity of OCD. Also, the concept of OCD has considerably var-ied across history and cultures, from being considered an issue related to lack of control of blasphemous ideas, and a part of anxious issues, to the description of complex neurobiological systems in its causation. Objective: The aim of this review was to address OCD as a well-characterized disorder with a proposed neurobiological ba-sis which may or may not have variations depending on cultural diversity. The question that was asked in this review is whether or not there are cultural differences in the manifestations of the OCD symptomatology and which factors of cultural diversity have a major influence on such manifestations along with the differences among some cultures regarding OCD is-sues, where the difference among countries has also been highlighted. Methods: A review of the literature was conducted that includes the following words: obsessive-compulsive disorder, cul-ture, cultural identity and religion in a period of 10 years. Conclusion: Cultural variations do not seem to differ from symptomatic clusters of OCD, which may be indicating that a se-ries of adaptive behaviors is evolutionarily evolving to be constantly altered, perhaps by well-determined pathophysiological mechanisms. Some aspects that have been related to some dimensions of OCD symptomatology are religion and religiosity, affecting the content of obsessions and the severity of manifestations. Properly evaluating the education background, access to health services, food, and the genetic structure of populations, using investigational instruments sensitive to these cultural elements, will increase our understanding of the importance of

  17. Influence of Culture in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Its Treatment.

    PubMed

    Nicolini, Humberto; Salin-Pascual, Rafael; Cabrera, Brenda; Lanzagorta, Nuria

    2017-12-01

    The aspects of cultural identity and its impact on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been un-derstudied. There are different opinions, ranging from the idea that culture does not affect the symptoms of this condition to the idea that cultures with high religiosity may have more severity of OCD. Also, the concept of OCD has considerably var-ied across history and cultures, from being considered an issue related to lack of control of blasphemous ideas, and a part of anxious issues, to the description of complex neurobiological systems in its causation. The aim of this review was to address OCD as a well-characterized disorder with a proposed neurobiological ba-sis which may or may not have variations depending on cultural diversity. The question that was asked in this review is whether or not there are cultural differences in the manifestations of the OCD symptomatology and which factors of cultural diversity have a major influence on such manifestations along with the differences among some cultures regarding OCD is-sues, where the difference among countries has also been highlighted. A review of the literature was conducted that includes the following words: obsessive-compulsive disorder, cul-ture, cultural identity and religion in a period of 10 years. Cultural variations do not seem to differ from symptomatic clusters of OCD, which may be indicating that a se-ries of adaptive behaviors is evolutionarily evolving to be constantly altered, perhaps by well-determined pathophysiological mechanisms. Some aspects that have been related to some dimensions of OCD symptomatology are religion and religiosity, affecting the content of obsessions and the severity of manifestations. Properly evaluating the education background, access to health services, food, and the genetic structure of populations, using investigational instruments sensitive to these cultural elements, will increase our understanding of the importance of culture on OCD and its treatment.

  18. Impact of obsessive-compulsive disorder comorbidity on the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients with bipolar disorder.

    PubMed

    Koyuncu, Ahmet; Tükel, Raşit; Ozyildirim, Ilker; Meteris, Handan; Yazici, Olcay

    2010-01-01

    In this study, our aim is to determine the prevalence rates of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) comorbidity and to assess the impact of OCD comorbidity on the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist and Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-IV/Clinical Version on bipolar patients, 2 groups, BD with OCD comorbidity (BD-OCD) and BD without OCD comorbidity, were formed. These groups were compared for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Of 214 patients with BD, 21.9% of them had obsession and/or compulsion symptoms and 16.3% had symptoms at the OCD level. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the frequency of comorbid OCD in BD-I (22/185, 11.9%) and BD-II (3/13, 23.1%) patients, but OCD was found to be significantly high in BD not otherwise specified (10/16, %62.5) patients than BD-I (P < .001) and BD-II (P = .03). Six patients (17.1%) of the BD-OCD group had chronic course (the presence of at least 1 mood disorder episode with a duration of longer than 2 years), whereas the BD without OCD group had none, which was statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between BD-OCD and BD without OCD groups in terms of age, sex, education, marital status, polarity, age of BD onset, presence of psychotic symptoms, presence of rapid cycling, history of suicide attempts, first episode type, and predominant episode type. Main limitation of our study was the assessment of some variables based on retrospective recall. Our study confirms the high comorbidity rates for OCD in BD patients. Future studies that examine the relationship between OCD and BD using a longitudinal design may be helpful in improving our understanding of the mechanism of this association. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections and Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Victor, Andrea M.; Pipal, Allison J.; Williams, Kyle A.

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Objective The objectives of this study were to identify unique clinical characteristics of children with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) compared with a control group of children with non-PANDAS obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with respect to ancillary symptoms, types of obsessions and compulsions, symptom severity, and co-morbid DSM-IV diagnoses. Method Classification of PANDAS was based on review of pediatric and psychiatric records using the criteria developed by Swedo and colleagues. Children aged 6–14 with PANDAS (n = 21) and non-PANDAS OCD (n = 18) were assessed by blind independent evaluators using the PANDAS Questionnaire, Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, and Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV. Results PANDAS children were significantly more likely to present with separation anxiety, urinary urgency, hyperactivity, impulsivity, deterioration in handwriting, and decline in school performance during their initial episode of neuropsychiatric illness compared with children with OCD. Total tics and vocal tics were more severe in PANDAS children. Separation anxiety disorder and social phobia were more prevalent in non-PANDAS OCD children. Children with non-PANDAS OCD were significantly more likely to include others in their rituals. There were no significant differences between groups on demographics or severity of OCD. Conclusions Distinguishing clinical characteristics in PANDAS, which included urinary urgency, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and deterioration in handwriting, are linked to basal ganglia functions. These clinical characteristics will aid in the differentiation of PANDAS children for research and clinical purposes and ultimately advance our understanding and treatment of this disorder. PMID:20807071

  20. Obsessive-compulsive disorder for ICD-11: proposed changes to the diagnostic guidelines and specifiers

    PubMed Central

    Simpson, Helen Blair; Reddy, Y. C. Janardhan

    2016-01-01

    Since the approval of the ICD-10 by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990, global research on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has expanded dramatically. This article evaluates what changes may be needed to enhance the scientific validity, clinical utility, and global applicability of OCD diagnostic guidelines in preparation for ICD-11. Existing diagnostic guidelines for OCD were compared. Key issues pertaining to clinical description, differential diagnosis, and specifiers were identified and critically reviewed on the basis of the current literature. Specific modifications to ICD guidelines are recommended, including: clarifying the definition of obsessions (i.e., that obsessions can be thoughts, images, or impulses/urges) and compulsions (i.e., clarifying that these can be behaviors or mental acts and not calling these “stereotyped”); stating that compulsions are often associated with obsessions; and removing the ICD-10 duration requirement of at least 2 weeks. In addition, a diagnosis of OCD should no longer be excluded if comorbid with Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia, or depressive disorders. Moreover, the ICD-10 specifiers (i.e., predominantly obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, or mixed) should be replaced with a specifier for insight. Based on new research, modifications to the ICD-10 diagnostic guidelines for OCD are recommended for ICD-11. PMID:25388607

  1. Confidence in memory and other cognitive processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Nedeljkovic, Maja; Kyrios, Michael

    2007-12-01

    Previous studies have implicated beliefs about one's memory (i.e., meta-memory), in maintaining the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly with respect to checking rituals. However, most research has focused on task- or situation-specific perceptions about memory performance. Expanding on this research, we undertook two studies with analogue and clinical cohorts to examine the relationship between general 'trait' beliefs about memory and related processes and OCD symptoms. Trait meta-memory as measured in the current study was conceptualised as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing a range of beliefs about memory and related processes including confidence in one's general memory abilities, decision-making abilities, concentration and attention, as well as perfectionistic standards regarding one's memory. Meta-memory factors were associated with OCD symptoms, predicting OCD symptoms over-and-above mood and other OCD-relevant cognitions. Meta-memory factors were found to be particularly relevant to checking symptoms. Implications for theory and research are discussed.

  2. Cognitive Control of a Simple Mental Image in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kocak, Orhan Murat; Ozpolat, Aysegul Yilmaz; Atbasoglu, Cem; Cicek, Metehan

    2011-01-01

    The nature of obsessions has led researchers to try to determine if the main problem in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is impaired inhibitory control. Previous studies report that the effort to suppress is one of the factors that increase the frequency of obsessive thoughts. Based on these results and those of the present study that suggest…

  3. OCD? Not Me! Protocol for the development and evaluation of a web-based self-guided treatment for youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Rees, Clare S; Anderson, Rebecca A

    2015-01-01

    Background OCD? Not Me! is a novel, web-based, self-guided intervention designed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people aged 12–18, using the principles of exposure and response prevention. The current paper presents the protocol for the development of the programme and for an open trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of this programme for OCD in young people, and associated distress and symptom accommodation in their parents and caregivers. Methods We will measure the impact of the OCD? Not Me! programme on OCD symptoms using the Children's Florida Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (C-FOCI), and both the self-report and parent report of the Children's Obsessional Compulsive Inventory—Revised (ChOCI-R). The impact of the programme on OCD-related functional impairment will be measured using the parent report of the Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale—Revised (COIS-R). Secondary outcome measures include the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Youth Quality of Life—Short Form (YQoL-SF). The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) will be used to measure the impact of the programme on parent/caregiver distress, while the Family Accommodation Scale (FAS) will be used to measure change in family accommodation of OCD symptoms. Multilevel mixed effects linear regression will be used to analyse the impact of the intervention on the outcome measures. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. The results of the study will be reported in international peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613000152729. PMID:25926148

  4. Aripiprazole augmentation in highly treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder - experience from a specialty clinic in India.

    PubMed

    Hegde, Aditya; Kalyani, Bangalore G; Arumugham, Shyam Sundar; Narayanaswamy, Janardhanan C; Math, Suresh Bada; Reddy, Y C Janardhan

    2017-03-01

    To study the effectiveness and tolerability of aripiprazole augmentation in patients with highly treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a real-world scenario. We conducted a chart review of patients who were initiated on aripiprazole augmentation at a specialty OCD clinic in India between 2004 and 2014. Primary outcome measure was all-cause discontinuation. 23 patients were eligible for analysis. Patients had not achieved symptom remission despite a mean of over 3 prior SRI trials. Aripiprazole was continued to be used in seven patients (30%) at the time of last follow-up. Thirteen patients (57%) discontinued the drug due to side effects, and three patients (13%) discontinued aripiprazole citing no improvement. Six patients (26%) were noted to have ≥25% reduction on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The study demonstrated, in a real-world setting, that aripiprazole may be a useful augmenting agent in a proportion of patients with highly treatment-resistant OCD. However, side effects may lead to premature discontinuation in many of them.

  5. Selective attention deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder: the role of metacognitive processes.

    PubMed

    Koch, Julia; Exner, Cornelia

    2015-02-28

    While initial studies supported the hypothesis that cognitive characteristics that capture cognitive resources act as underlying mechanisms in memory deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the influence of those characteristics on selective attention has not been studied, yet. In this study, we examined the influence of cognitive self-consciousness (CSC), rumination and worrying on performance in selective attention in OCD and compared the results to a depressive and a healthy control group. We found that 36 OCD and 36 depressive participants were impaired in selective attention in comparison to 36 healthy controls. In all groups, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that age, intelligence and years in school significantly predicted performance in selective attention. But only in OCD, the predictive power of the regression model was improved when CSC, rumination and worrying were implemented as predictor variables. In contrast, in none of the three groups the predictive power improved when indicators of severity of obsessive-compulsive (OC) and depressive symptoms and trait anxiety were introduced as predictor variables. Thus, our results support the assumption that mental characteristics that bind cognitive resources play an important role in the understanding of selective attention deficits in OCD and that this mechanism is especially relevant for OCD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Transcranial direct current stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized, controlled, partial crossover trial.

    PubMed

    D'Urso, Giordano; Brunoni, Andre R; Mazzaferro, Maria Pia; Anastasia, Annalisa; de Bartolomeis, Andrea; Mantovani, Antonio

    2016-12-01

    Presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) hyperactivity has been detected in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. However, it is not understood whether this is a putative primary cause or a compensatory mechanism in OCD pathophysiology. Considering the polarity-dependent effects on cortical excitability of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), we applied cathodal and/or anodal tDCS to the pre-SMA of OCD patients to test which current polarity might better improve symptoms. Twelve OCD patients received initially 10 anodal (n = 6) or cathodal (n = 6) daily consecutive 2 mA/20 min tDCS sessions with the active electrode placed bilaterally on the pre-SMA. In case of improvement or no change in symptoms severity, the subjects were maintained on the same current polarity for 10 more sessions. In case of symptoms worsening after the first 10 sessions they were switched to the other polarity for 10 more sessions to test the hypothesis of a polarity-dependent effect. Therefore, each subject received 20 tDCS sessions. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) were administered biweekly to assess changes in symptoms severity. After 10 sessions, 50% of patients who initially received anodal stimulation were switched to cathodal, while 100% of patients initially assigned to cathodal stimulation continued on the same polarity. At the end of the study, a statistically significant decrease was observed in the mean Y-BOCS scores of those patients who underwent cathodal tDCS. No pre-post difference was found in the scores of patients following anodal tDCS. Cathodal but not anodal tDCS over the pre-SMA significantly improved OCD symptoms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Visual search for verbal material in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Botta, Fabiano; Vibert, Nicolas; Harika-Germaneau, Ghina; Frasca, Mickaël; Rigalleau, François; Fakra, Eric; Ros, Christine; Rouet, Jean-François; Ferreri, Florian; Jaafari, Nematollah

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed at investigating attentional mechanisms in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by analysing how visual search processes are modulated by normal and obsession-related distracting information in OCD patients and whether these modulations differ from those observed in healthy people. OCD patients were asked to search for a target word within distractor words that could be orthographically similar to the target, semantically related to the target, semantically related to the most typical obsessions/compulsions observed in OCD patients, or unrelated to the target. Patients' performance and eye movements were compared with those of individually matched healthy controls. In controls, the distractors that were visually similar to the target mostly captured attention. Conversely, patients' attention was captured equally by all kinds of distractor words, whatever their similarity with the target, except obsession-related distractors that attracted patients' attention less than the other distractors. OCD had a major impact on the mostly subliminal mechanisms that guide attention within the search display, but had much less impact on the distractor rejection processes that take place when a distractor is fixated. Hence, visual search in OCD is characterized by abnormal subliminal, but not supraliminal, processing of obsession-related information and by an impaired ability to inhibit task-irrelevant inputs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Unmet needs of the patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Prasko, Jan; Hruby, Radovan; Ociskova, Marie; Holubova, Michaela; Latalova, Klara; Marackova, Marketa; Grambal, Ales; Sigmundova, Zuzana; Kasalova, Petra; Vyskocilová, Jana

    2016-10-01

    Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling mental disorder with the chronic and difficult course. The disorder is accompanied by numerous limitations in personal and interpersonal functioning. OCD decreases the quality of life and the chance to maintain relationships and professional status. The patients with OCD often experience a severe disabling course of the disorder. Even the individuals, who follow treatment advice, are often still highly symptomatic. In the last decade, the concept of the needs has been assessed as an extent of the traditional outcome evaluation in order to focus on the identification of the specific needs of the patients and their relatives, improve the patients´ overall mental condition and quality of life, and also to increase the treatment effectiveness of the mental disorders. The objective of the article was to review the current literature about unmet needs of the OCD patients and their caregivers. A computerized search of the literature published between January 2000 and June 2016 was conducted in MEDLINE, and additional papers were extracted using keywords "obsessive compulsive disorder","needs", "pharmacotherapy", "CBT", and "family" in various combinations. Primary selection selected the total of 449 articles. According to the established criteria, 168 articles were chosen. After a detailed examination of the full texts, 53 articles remained. Secondary articles from the reference lists of primarily selected papers were read and evaluated for the eligibility and added to the final list of the articles (n = 107). The needs of the OCD patients might differ at various stages and severity of the disorder. Four sets of the needs were identified: the needs connected with the symptoms, the treatment, the quality of life, and the family. The patients suffering from OCD often experience many limitations in the fulfillment of their fundamental human needs such as disturbed patients´ functioning in the common life, family, at work

  9. Bipolar obsessive-compulsive disorder and personality disorders.

    PubMed

    Maina, Giuseppe; Albert, Umberto; Pessina, Enrico; Bogetto, Filippo

    2007-11-01

    Relatively few systematic data exist on the clinical impact of bipolar comorbidity in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and no studies have investigated the influence of such a comorbidity on the prevalence and pattern of Axis II comorbidity. The aim of the present study was to explore the comorbidity of personality disorders in a group of patients with OCD and comorbid bipolar disorder (BD). The sample consisted of 204 subjects with a principal diagnosis of OCD (DSM-IV) and a Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score>or=16 recruited from all patients consecutively referred to the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin over a period of 5 years (January 1998-December 2002). Diagnostic evaluation and Axis I comorbidities were collected by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). Personality status was assessed by using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II). Socio-demographic and clinical features (including Axis II comorbidities) were compared between OCD patients with and without a lifetime comorbidity of BD. A total of 21 patients with OCD (10.3%) met DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime BD diagnosis: 4 (2.0%) with BD type I and 17 (8.3%) with BD type II. Those without a BD diagnosis showed significantly higher rates of male gender, sexual and hoarding obsessions, repeating compulsions and lifetime comorbid substance use disorders, when compared with patients with BD/OCD. With regard to personality disorders, those with BD/OCD showed higher prevalence rates of Cluster A (42.9% versus 21.3%; p=0.027) and Cluster B (57.1% versus 29.0%; p=0.009) personality disorders. Narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders were more frequent in BD/OCD. Our results point towards clinically relevant effects of comorbid BD on the personality profiles of OCD patients, with higher rates of narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders in BD/OCD patients.

  10. Personality disorders and normal personality dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Samuels, J; Nestadt, G; Bienvenu, O J; Costa, P T; Riddle, M A; Liang, K Y; Hoehn-Saric, R; Grados, M A; Cullen, B A

    2000-11-01

    Little is known about personality disorders and normal personality dimensions in relatives of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To determine whether specific personality characteristics are part of a familial spectrum of OCD. Clinicians evaluated personality disorders in 72 OCD case and 72 control probands and 198 case and 207 control first-degree relatives. The selfcompleted Revised NEO Personality Inventory was used for assessment of normal personality dimensions. The prevalence of personality disorders and scores on normal personality dimensions were compared between case and control probands and between case and control relatives. Case probands and case relatives had a high prevalence of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and high neuroticism scores. Neuroticism was associated with OCPD in case but not control relatives. Neuroticism and OCPD may share a common familial aetiology with OCD.

  11. Sex determines which section of the SLC6A4 gene is linked to obsessive-compulsive symptoms in normal Chinese college students.

    PubMed

    Lei, Xuemei; Chen, Chuansheng; He, Qinghua; Chen, Chunhui; Moyzis, Robert K; Xue, Gui; Chen, Xiongying; Cao, Zhongyu; Li, Jin; Li, He; Zhu, Bi; Chun Hsu, Anna Shan; Li, Sufang; Li, Jun; Dong, Qi

    2012-09-01

    Previous case-control and family-based association studies have implicated the SLC6A4 gene in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Little research, however, has examined this gene's role in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in community samples. The present study genotyped seven tag SNPs and two common functional tandem repeat polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR and STin2), which together cover the whole SLC6A4 gene, and investigated their associations with OCS in normal Chinese college students (N = 572). The results revealed a significant gender main effect and gender-specific genetic effects of the SLC6A4 gene on OCS. Males scored significantly higher on total OCS and its three dimensions than did females (ps < .01). The 5-HTTLPR in the promoter region showed a female-specific genetic effect, with the l/l and l/s genotypes linked to higher OCS scores than the s/s genotype (ps < .05). In contrast, a conserved haplotype polymorphism (rs1042173| rs4325622| rs3794808| rs140701| rs4583306| rs2020942) covering from intron 3 to the 3' UTR of the SLC6A4 gene showed male-specific genetic effects, with the CGAAGG/CGAAGG genotype associated with lower OCS scores than the other genotypes (ps < .05). These effects remained significant after controlling for OCS-related factors including participants' depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as stressful life events, and correction for multiple tests. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of the sex-specific role of the different sections of the SLC6A4 gene in OCD. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Cognitive Therapy of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Chronic Tic Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Hebbar, Sudhir

    2013-01-01

    The gold standard of therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder, exposure with response prevention, may not be suitable to obsessional sub-type. Live exposure is not possible and response prevention is difficult. These obsessions (sexual, religious or aggressive) are repugnant and resisted. Negative attitude against obsessions leads to treatment refusal or dropout from therapy. In Cognitive therapy (CT) these attitudes can be corrected and exposure can be administered in the form of behavioral experiments (using behavioral tasks to change the dysfunctional attitudes). Such a case is treated with CT, weaned off medications and remains improved at 9 months. PMID:23833351

  13. Psychometric Properties of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV) in Chilean Children and Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-González, Agustín E.; Rodríguez-Jiménez, Tíscar; Piqueras, José A.; Vera-Villarroel, Pablo; Godoy, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, there has been a considerable increase in the development of assessment tools for obsessive-compulsive symptomatology in children and adolescents. The Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV) is a well-established assessment self-report, with special interest for the assessment of dimensions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This instrument has shown to be useful for clinical and non-clinical populations in two languages (English and European Spanish). Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the OCI-CV in a Chilean community sample. The sample consisted of 816 children and adolescents with a mean age of 14.54 years (SD = 2.21; range = 10–18 years). Factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent/divergent validity, and gender/age differences were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a 6-factor structure (Doubting/Checking, Obsessing, Hoarding, Washing, Ordering, and Neutralizing) with one second-order factor. Good estimates of reliability (including internal consistency and test-retest), evidence supporting the validity, and small age and gender differences (higher levels of OCD symptomatology among older participants and women, respectively) are found. The OCI-CV is also an adequate scale for the assessment of obsessions and compulsions in a general population of Chilean children and adolescents. PMID:26317404

  14. Disgust proneness predicts obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom severity in a clinical sample of youth: Distinctions from negative affect.

    PubMed

    Olatunji, Bunmi O; Ebesutani, Chad; Kim, Jingu; Riemann, Bradley C; Jacobi, David M

    2017-04-15

    Although studies have linked disgust proneness to the etiology and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults, there remains a paucity of research examining the specificity of this association among youth. The present study employed structural equation modeling to examine the association between disgust proneness, negative affect, and OCD symptom severity in a clinical sample of youth admitted to a residential treatment facility (N =471). Results indicate that disgust proneness and negative affect latent factors independently predicted an OCD symptom severity latent factor. However, when both variables were modeled as predictors simultaneously, latent disgust proneness remained significantly associated with OCD symptom severity, whereas the association between latent negative affect and OCD symptom severity became nonsignificant. Tests of mediation converged in support of disgust proneness as a significant intervening variable between negative affect and OCD symptom severity. Subsequent analysis showed that the path from disgust proneness to OCD symptom severity in the structural model was significantly stronger among those without a primary diagnosis of OCD compared to those with a primary diagnosis of OCD. Given the cross-sectional design, the causal inferences that can be made are limited. The present study is also limited by the exclusive reliance on self-report measures. Disgust proneness may play a uniquely important role in OCD among youth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Obsessive compulsive and related disorders: comparing DSM-5 and ICD-11.

    PubMed

    Marras, Anna; Fineberg, Naomi; Pallanti, Stefano

    2016-08-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been recognized as mainly characterized by compulsivity rather than anxiety and, therefore, was removed from the anxiety disorders chapter and given its own in both the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the Beta Draft Version of the 11th revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This revised clustering is based on increasing evidence of common affected neurocircuits between disorders, differently from previous classification systems based on interrater agreement. In this article, we focus on the classification of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs), examining the differences in approach adopted by these 2 nosological systems, with particular attention to the proposed changes in the forthcoming ICD-11. At this stage, notable differences in the ICD classification are emerging from the previous revision, apparently converging toward a reformulation of OCRDs that is closer to the DSM-5.

  16. Depression and risk of suicide in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A hospital-based study

    PubMed Central

    Chaudhary, Rupesh Kumar; Kumar, Pankaj; Mishra, Bholeshwar Prasad

    2016-01-01

    Background: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic, distressing, anxiety disorder associated with significant functional impairment. Patient with OCD often suffer from one or more co-morbid disorders. Major depression has been the most common co-morbid syndrome. Comorbid Axis I disorders along with increased severity of comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms, increased severity of obsessions, feelings of hopelessness and past history of suicide attempts have been associated with worsening levels of suicidality in OCD (Angelakis I, Gooding P., 2015). As per data Thirty-six percent of the patients of OCD report lifetime suicidal thoughts and 11% have a history of attempted suicide(Torres AR, Ramos-Cerqueira AT, et al, 2011). There is a reasonable probability that the patient of OCD have suicidal thoughts, plans or actually attempt suicide. Aim: To assess depression and suicidality in OCD patients. Method: This study was conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with OCD as per ICD 10 criteria, both outpatient & indoor, from department of psychiatry, Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. A socio-demographic proforma (containing demographic details), Hamilton Depression Rating & Scale, Columbia suicide severity rating scale (CSSRS) & Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist (YBOCS) were administered. Results: Mild depression was found out to be 40% whereas 16% were suffering from moderate depression and 10% and 14% had severe and very severe depression respectively. Suicidal ideation was found in 52 % of patients.16% of patients had history of actual attempt. Data showed that 70% of females had suicidal ideations. It was also found that in cases of severe and very severe depression associated with OCD all the patients had suicidal ideations as compared to 35% in mild and 87.5% in moderate depressive patients. It was found that 40% of severe depressive and 28.57% of very severe depressive patients had attempted suicide one or

  17. Depression and risk of suicide in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A hospital-based study.

    PubMed

    Chaudhary, Rupesh Kumar; Kumar, Pankaj; Mishra, Bholeshwar Prasad

    2016-01-01

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic, distressing, anxiety disorder associated with significant functional impairment. Patient with OCD often suffer from one or more co-morbid disorders. Major depression has been the most common co-morbid syndrome. Comorbid Axis I disorders along with increased severity of comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms, increased severity of obsessions, feelings of hopelessness and past history of suicide attempts have been associated with worsening levels of suicidality in OCD (Angelakis I, Gooding P., 2015). As per data Thirty-six percent of the patients of OCD report lifetime suicidal thoughts and 11% have a history of attempted suicide(Torres AR, Ramos-Cerqueira AT, et al , 2011). There is a reasonable probability that the patient of OCD have suicidal thoughts, plans or actually attempt suicide. To assess depression and suicidality in OCD patients. This study was conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with OCD as per ICD 10 criteria, both outpatient & indoor, from department of psychiatry, Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. A socio-demographic proforma (containing demographic details), Hamilton Depression Rating & Scale, Columbia suicide severity rating scale (CSSRS) & Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist (YBOCS) were administered. Mild depression was found out to be 40% whereas 16% were suffering from moderate depression and 10% and 14% had severe and very severe depression respectively. Suicidal ideation was found in 52 % of patients.16% of patients had history of actual attempt. Data showed that 70% of females had suicidal ideations. It was also found that in cases of severe and very severe depression associated with OCD all the patients had suicidal ideations as compared to 35% in mild and 87.5% in moderate depressive patients. It was found that 40% of severe depressive and 28.57% of very severe depressive patients had attempted suicide one or more times during the course of

  18. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: What an Educator Needs to Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chaturvedi, Amrita; Murdick, Nikki L.; Gartin, Barbara C.

    2014-01-01

    The presence of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) impairs social, emotional and academic functioning. Individuals with OCD may have co-morbid disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, or Tourette syndrome. Challenges occur when students with OCD become a part of the general education…

  19. Autism and ADHD Symptoms in Patients with OCD: Are They Associated with Specific OC Symptom Dimensions or OC Symptom Severity?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anholt, Gideon E.; Cath, Danielle C.; van Oppen, Patricia; Eikelenboom, Merijn; Smit, Johannes H.; van Megen, Harold; van Balkom, Anton J. L. M.

    2010-01-01

    In obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the relationship between autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom, and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptom dimensions and severity has scarcely been studied. Therefore, 109 adult outpatients with primary OCD were compared to 87 healthy controls on OC, ADHD and…

  20. A study of novel bilateral thermal capsulotomy with focused ultrasound for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: 2-year follow-up.

    PubMed

    Kim, Se Joo; Roh, Daeyoung; Jung, Hyun Ho; Chang, Won Seok; Kim, Chan-Hyung; Chang, Jin Woo

    2018-05-02

    Recently, a new thermal lesioning approach using magnetic-resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) was introduced for the treatment of neurologic disorders. However, only 2 studies have used this approach for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and follow-up was short-term. We investigated the efficacy and safety of bilateral thermal lesioning of the anterior limb of the internal capsule using MRgFUS in patients with treatment-refractory OCD and followed them for 2 years. Eleven patients with treatment-refractory OCD were included in the study. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Clinical Global Impression scale (including improvement and severity), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months following MRgFUS. Neuropsychological functioning, Global Assessment of Functioning and adverse events were also assessed. After MRgFUS, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scores decreased significantly across the 24-month follow-up period (mean ± standard deviation, 34.4 ± 2.3 at baseline v. 21.3 ± 6.2 at 24 months, p < 0.001). Scores on the Hamilton rating scales for depression and anxiety also significantly decreased from baseline to 24 months (HAM-D, 19.0 ± 5.3 v. 7.6 ± 5.3, p < 0.001; HAM-A, 22.4 ± 5.9 v. 7.9 ± 3.9, p < 0.001). Global Assessment of Functioning scores improved significantly (35.8 ± 4.9 at baseline v. 56.0 ± 10.3 at 24 months, p < 0.001) and Memory Quotient significantly improved, but other neuropsychological functions were unchanged. The side effects of MRgFUS included headache and vestibular symptoms, but these were mild and transient. The main limitations of this study were the small sample size and the open-label design. Bilateral thermal lesioning of the anterior limb of the internal capsule using MRgFUS may improve obsessive-compulsive, depressive and anxiety symptoms in

  1. Examination of a brief anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns intervention on suicidality among individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Raines, Amanda M; Short, Nicole A; Allan, Nicholas P; Oglesby, Mary E; Schmidt, Norman B

    2015-11-01

    A growing body of research has demonstrated elevated rates of suicidality among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Recently, it has been proposed that the cognitive concerns component of anxiety sensitivity (AS) may be one factor contributing to this association. AS cognitive concerns, which reflect fears of mental incapacitation, has been found to be associated with OCD and increased suicidality in a number of populations. However, questions remain as to whether reductions in AS cognitive concerns will lead to subsequent reductions in suicidality among individuals with OCD symptoms. In the current study, the sample (N=54) was comprised of individuals with elevated OCD symptoms recruited from the community who were participating in a larger randomized clinical trial. Individuals were randomly assigned to a one-session AS cognitive concerns intervention or a health information control intervention and assessed at post-treatment and one-month follow-up. Results indicated that the active intervention produced significantly greater reductions in AS cognitive concerns immediately post-intervention. Moreover, changes in AS cognitive concerns following the intervention mediated changes in suicidality at one-month follow-up. Findings are discussed in regard to adjunct interventions for OCD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. [Obsessive-compulsive disorder, a new model of basal ganglia dysfunction? Elements from deep brain stimulation studies].

    PubMed

    Haynes, W I A; Millet, B; Mallet, L

    2012-01-01

    Deep brain stimulation was first developed for movement disorders but is now being offered as a therapeutic alternative in severe psychiatric disorders after the failure of conventional therapies. One of such pathologies is obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder which associates intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive irrepressible rituals (compulsions) is characterized by a dysfunction of a cortico-subcortical loop. After having reviewed the pathophysiological evidence to show why deep brain stimulation was an interesting path to take for severe and resistant cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder, we will present the results of the different clinical trials. Finally, we will provide possible mechanisms for the effects of deep brain stimulation in this pathology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. A Case Study of Cognitive and Biophysical Models of Education as Linked to Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maye, Kelly M.

    2012-01-01

    Cognitive and biophysical factors have been considered contributors linked to identifiable markers of obsessive compulsive and anxiety disorders. Research demonstrates multiple causes and mixed results for the short-term success of educational programs designed to ameliorate problems that children with obsessive compulsive and anxiety disorders…

  4. Short-term psychodynamic therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A manual-guided approach to treating the "inhibited rebel".

    PubMed

    Leichsenring, Falk; Steinert, Christiane

    2017-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic disabling disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions and uncontrolled compulsions. Recent research on anxiety disorders suggests that manual-guided short-term psychodynamic therapy (STPP) may be a promising approach. Building on this, a model of STPP for OCD was developed based on Luborsky's supportive-expressive (SE) therapy. Treatment consists of 12 modules, which include the characteristic elements of SE therapy, that is, a focus on the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) associated with OCD symptoms and on establishing a secure alliance. Disorder-specific treatment elements were integrated, including addressing ambivalence, differentiating between thinking and acting, mitigating the superego, addressing existential issues, and, last but not least, implementing Freud's original recommendation to induce OCD patients to face the feared situation and to use the aroused experiences to work on the underlying conflict (i.e., CCRT). There are reasons to assume that the empirically derived model of STPP described here may be beneficial in OCD.

  5. OCD? Not Me! Protocol for the development and evaluation of a web-based self-guided treatment for youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Rees, Clare S; Anderson, Rebecca A; Finlay-Jones, Amy

    2015-04-29

    OCD? Not Me! is a novel, web-based, self-guided intervention designed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people aged 12-18, using the principles of exposure and response prevention. The current paper presents the protocol for the development of the programme and for an open trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of this programme for OCD in young people, and associated distress and symptom accommodation in their parents and caregivers. We will measure the impact of the OCD? Not Me! programme on OCD symptoms using the Children's Florida Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (C-FOCI), and both the self-report and parent report of the Children's Obsessional Compulsive Inventory-Revised (ChOCI-R). The impact of the programme on OCD-related functional impairment will be measured using the parent report of the Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale-Revised (COIS-R). Secondary outcome measures include the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Youth Quality of Life-Short Form (YQoL-SF). The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) will be used to measure the impact of the programme on parent/caregiver distress, while the Family Accommodation Scale (FAS) will be used to measure change in family accommodation of OCD symptoms. Multilevel mixed effects linear regression will be used to analyse the impact of the intervention on the outcome measures. This study has been approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. The results of the study will be reported in international peer-reviewed journals. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613000152729. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  6. A review on quality of life and depression in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Moritz, Steffen

    2008-09-01

    Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly recognized as a pivotal outcome parameter in research on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While the concept remains somewhat ill-defined, there is now little dispute that the patients' personal goals deserve foremost consideration during the course of treatment as the primary aim of treatment should be relief from individual despair, which is related but by no means synonymous to symptom reduction. Studies using generic (ie, illness-unspecific) instruments have confirmed poor QoL in OCD patients across a wide range of domains, especially with respect to social, work role functioning, and mental health aspects. Scores are sometimes as low as those obtained by patients with schizophrenia. Depression and obsessions are the symptom clusters that most strongly contribute to low QoL. Findings from a novel survey of 105 OCD participants point to multiple daily life problems, poor work status, and tense social networks in these patients. In order to achieve therapeutic success and improve QoL, functional problems at work and comorbid disorders such as secondary depression and physical impairments should be targeted. While successful treatment sometimes positively impacts well-being, in some studies symptom decline did not translate into improved QoL.

  7. Does neuropsychological performance impact on real-life functional achievements in obsessive-compulsive disorder? A preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Perna, Giampaolo; Cavedini, Paolo; Harvey, Philip D; Di Chiaro, Nunzia Valentina; Daccò, Silvia; Caldirola, Daniela

    2016-11-01

    We investigated the association between neuropsychological performance and real-life functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As a secondary aim, we investigated the association between neuropsychological performance and self-reported quality of life (QoL). We retrospectively selected 68 of 240 inpatients with OCD, who had been hospitalised for a 4-week psychiatric rehabilitation programme. We used clinical information recorded in the patients' electronic medical records. We considered the following variables: neuropsychological performance (verbal/visual memory, sustained attention, visual-constructive ability, and language fluency; in a sub-sample of 37 subjects, divided attention, working memory, and attentional shifting were also available); real-life functional achievements (social/vocational outcomes and independent living); subjectively reported QoL (WHOQOL-BREF); obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms severity (DY-BOCS). We found significant associations between poorer neuropsychological performance and poorer achievements in independent living and vocational outcomes. Among the different neuropsychological tests, we found significant associations between language fluency/executive processing and independent living, and between divided attention, attentional shifting, working memory and vocational outcome. We found no significant associations between neuropsychological performance and subjectively reported QoL. OC symptoms severity was not associated with real-life functional achievements. Our preliminary results suggest that poorer neuropsychological performance may be associated with impaired real-life functioning in subjects with OCD.

  8. Heritability and clinical features of multigenerational families with obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding.

    PubMed

    Mathews, Carol A; Nievergelt, Caroline M; Azzam, Amin; Garrido, Helena; Chavira, Denise A; Wessel, Jennifer; Bagnarello, Monica; Reus, Victor I; Schork, Nicholas J

    2007-03-05

    To date, only one complete genome screen for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been published. That study identified a region of suggestive linkage (maximum lod score of 2.25) with a relatively small sample size (N = 56; 27 with OCD). Additional complete genome screens are needed to confirm this finding and identify other regions of linkage. We present the clinical characteristics and power to detect linkage of 11 multigenerational families with OCD and hoarding (N = 92; 44 with OCD), as well as heritability estimates for several quantitative traits. Families with at least two individuals with OCD were identified through probands with childhood-onset OCD. Expected lod scores were calculated for simulated genetic marker data under an additive and two dominant models assuming a dense SNP marker map. All affected individuals had an early age of onset (18 or younger). Hoarding was present in 46% of subjects. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and hoarding were highly heritable. The maximum mean expected lod score was 3.31 for OCD and 1.39 for hoarding. We found reasonable power to detect regions of interest (lod = 2) for OCD in these families, but will need to expand our family collection to have adequate power to detect regions of interest for hoarding. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  9. Learning from Animal Models of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Monteiro, Patricia; Feng, Guoping

    2015-01-01

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 2–3% of the worldwide population and can cause significant distress and disability to its sufferers. Substantial challenges remain in the field of OCD research and therapeutics. Approved interventions only partially alleviate symptoms, with 30–40% of patients being resistant to treatment. Research evidence points towards the involvement of cortico-striato-thalamocortical circuitry (CSTC) although OCD’s etiology is still unknown. This review will focus on the most recent behavior, genetics and neurophysiological findings from animal models of OCD. Based on evidence from these models and parallels with human studies, we discuss the circuit hyperactivity hypothesis for OCD, a potential circuitry dysfunction of action termination, and the involvement of candidate genes. Adding a more biologically-valid framework to OCD will help us define and test new hypotheses and facilitate the development of targeted therapies based on disease-specific mechanisms. PMID:26037910

  10. Alexithymia and perfectionism traits are associated with suicidal risk in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Kim, Heeyeon; Seo, Jiwoo; Namkoong, Kee; Hwang, Eun Hee; Sohn, Sung Yun; Kim, Se Joo; Kang, Jee In

    2016-03-01

    There is limited evidence on suicidality and its associated factors in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study investigated the potential contributing traits such as alexithymia and perfectionism and clinical risk factors including symptom dimensions associated with high suicidality in OCD patients. A total of 81 patients with OCD were included (mean age: 28.89 years, SD=7.95 years, 62% men). Suicidal risk was assessed using the Scale for Suicide Ideation and history taking. To assess alexithymia and perfectionism, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Measure of Constructs Underlying Perfectionism were applied. Clinical characteristics of OCD were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Among OCD patients, 37% had a history of previous suicidal attempt, and 56.8% had current suicidal ideation. Those with lifetime suicide attempts scored significantly higher for alexithymia and ego-dystonic perfectionism than those without such history. In the binary logistic regression analysis, high score for alexithymia and the responsibility for harm, injury, or bad luck were significant determinants for lifetime suicide attempts. As for current suicide ideation, ego-dystonic perfectionism and the dimension of unacceptable thought were significant predictors of suicidal risk. The classification of suicidal risk and personality traits relied on self-report measures. The present findings indicate that personality traits such as alexithymia and perfectionism may contribute to high suicidality in patients with OCD, and patients suffering with unacceptable thoughts need to be assessed more carefully for warning signs of suicide. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The neuropsychology of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a new analysis.

    PubMed

    Fineberg, Naomi A; Day, Grace A; de Koenigswarter, Nica; Reghunandanan, Samar; Kolli, Sangeetha; Jefferies-Sewell, Kiri; Hranov, Georgi; Laws, Keith R

    2015-10-01

    Obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is characterized by perfectionism, need for control, and cognitive rigidity. Currently, little neuropsychological data exist on this condition, though emerging evidence does suggest that disorders marked by compulsivity, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are associated with impairment in cognitive flexibility and executive planning on neurocognitive tasks. The current study investigated the neurocognitive profile in a nonclinical community-based sample of people fulfilling diagnostic criteria for OCPD in the absence of major psychiatric comorbidity. Twenty-one nonclinical subjects who fulfilled Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for OCPD were compared with 15 healthy controls on selected clinical and neurocognitive tasks. OCPD was measured using the Compulsive Personality Assessment Scale (CPAS). Participants completed tests from the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery including tests of set shifting (Intra-Extra Dimensional [IED] Set Shifting) executive planning (Stockings of Cambridge [SOC]), and decision making (Cambridge Gamble Task [CGT]). The OCPD group made significantly more IED-ED shift errors and total shift errors, and also showed longer mean initial thinking time on the SOC at moderate levels of difficulty. No differences emerged on the CGT. Nonclinical cases of OCPD showed significant cognitive inflexibility coupled with executive planning deficits, whereas decision-making remained intact. This profile of impairment overlaps with that of OCD and implies that common neuropsychological changes affect individuals with these disorders.

  12. Causal role for inverse reasoning on obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Preliminary evidence from a cognitive bias modification for interpretation bias study.

    PubMed

    Wong, Shiu F; Grisham, Jessica R

    2017-12-01

    The inference-based approach (IBA) is a cognitive account of the genesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). According to the IBA, individuals with OCD are prone to using inverse reasoning, in which hypothetical causes form the basis of conclusions about reality. Several studies have provided preliminary support for an association between features of the IBA and OCD symptoms. However, there are currently no studies that have investigated the proposed causal relationship of inverse reasoning in OCD. In a non-clinical sample (N = 187), we used an interpretive cognitive bias procedure to train a bias towards using inverse reasoning (n = 64), healthy sensory-based reasoning (n = 65), or a control condition (n = 58). Participants were randomly allocated to these training conditions. This manipulation allowed us to assess whether, consistent with the IBA, inverse reasoning training increased compulsive-like behaviours and self-reported OCD symptoms. Results indicated that compared to a control condition, participants trained in inverse reasoning reported more OCD symptoms and were more avoidant of potentially contaminated objects. Moreover, change in inverse reasoning bias was a small but significant mediator of the relationship between training condition and behavioural avoidance. Conversely, training in a healthy (non-inverse) reasoning style did not have any effect on symptoms or behaviour relative to the control condition. As this study was conducted in a non-clinical sample, we were unable to generalise our findings to a clinical population. Findings generally support the IBA model by providing preliminary evidence of a causal role for inverse reasoning in OCD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. [The etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder from the aspects of attachment theory, with special regard to perceived parental treatment, attachment patterns and emotion regulation difficulties].

    PubMed

    Rejtô, Nóra; Papp, Gábor; Molnár, Judit

    The focus of our study was the etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder from attachment aspects. Our aim was to examine the representations of perceived parental treatment, attachment patterns and the level of emotion regulation of people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. 223 people participated in our study. The clinical group consisted of 92 persons with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while the control group involved 131 people without OC symptoms. In the study we used the Young Parenting Inventory, the Relationship Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Besides we compiled a questionnaire based on the DSM-5 and a demographic questionnaire. Respondents could fill the questionnaires online. The clinical group is characterized by significantly higher toxic frustration of each five basic emotional needs than the control group. Specifically, in the case of people with OC smptoms the toxic parental treatments for Defectiveness/ Shame, Dependence/Incompetence, Enmeshment/Undeveloped self, Entitlement/Grandiosity, Approval-seeking/ Recognition-seeking, Negativity/Pessimism, Emotional inhibition, Unrelenting standards/Hypercriticalness and Punitiveness were significantly more frequent than in the control group. The OC group is also characterized by significantly lower rate of secure attachment style, while dismissive attachment style proved to be the most frequent attachment style among them. The OC group also struggle with significantly higher level of emotion regulation difficulties.

  14. A network perspective on comorbid depression in adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Jones, Payton J; Mair, Patrick; Riemann, Bradley C; Mugno, Beth L; McNally, Richard J

    2018-01-01

    People with obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD] frequently suffer from depression, a comorbidity associated with greater symptom severity and suicide risk. We examined the associations between OCD and depression symptoms in 87 adolescents with primary OCD. We computed an association network, a graphical LASSO, and a directed acyclic graph (DAG) to model symptom interactions. Models showed OCD and depression as separate syndromes linked by bridge symptoms. Bridges between the two disorders emerged between obsessional problems in the OCD syndrome, and guilt, concentration problems, and sadness in the depression syndrome. A directed network indicated that OCD symptoms directionally precede depression symptoms. Concentration impairment emerged as a highly central node that may be distinctive to adolescents. We conclude that the network approach to mental disorders provides a new way to understand the etiology and maintenance of comorbid OCD-depression. Network analysis can improve research and treatment of mental disorder comorbidities by generating hypotheses concerning potential causal symptom structures and by identifying symptoms that may bridge disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Beyond refractory obsessions and anxiety states: toward remission.

    PubMed

    Hollander, Eric; Zohar, Joseph

    2004-01-01

    At the Sixth International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Conference (IOCDC), held November 13-15, 2003, in Lanzarote, Spain, 2 issues were discussed that are of great importance to future research on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The first of these is the possible inclusion of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD) in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. OCSD resemble OCD in their clinical symptoms, associated features, comorbidity, family/genetics, etiology, and neurocircuitry, as well as their selective response to treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The second issue is considering remission as the ultimate goal of treatment for OCD instead of just symptom reduction, as has been suggested in other disorders. These and other issues should be discussed at future meetings of the IOCDC and influence how we conceptualize the disorder and design future treatment trials.

  16. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Irresistable Actions Take Over

    MedlinePlus

    ... the obsessions and compulsions. Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) is a specific form of CBT which ... shown to help many patients recover from OCD. EX/RP involves gradually exposing you to your fears ...

  17. Effect of Religious Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Religious Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (3 and 6 months Follow-up)

    PubMed Central

    Aouchekian, Shahla; Karimi, Roya; Najafi, Mostafa; Shafiee, Katayon; Maracy, Mohammadreza; Almasi, Asiyeh

    2017-01-01

    Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic disorder that strongly affects one's life and social, emotional, and occupational functioning. Due to the effect of religious beliefs on phenomenology of OCD, in this paper, we assess the effectiveness of religious cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) within 3 and 6 months follow-up. Materials and Methods: This study is a clinical trial with follow-ups which last 2 months consisting eight sessions of 1.5 h of religious CBT. The research is conducted in a group of 40, with pre- and post-test after 3 and 6 months. Used Yale-Brown OCD symptom scale, before, the end, after 3 months and after 6 months of intervention. Treatment is carried out by a psychiatrist and a clergyman through religious CBT. The trial is held in OCD clinic affiliated with Noor Hospital. Results are analyzed by ANOVA repeated measure with SPSS18. Results: The results showed a considerable decrease in OCD symptoms which remained almost persistent after 3 and 6 months (F = 3/54. P = 0/024). It also shows that religious CBT can leave substantial effect on OCD symptoms; permanency of this intervention after 3 and 6 months is noticeable (P < 0/001). In Conclusion this therapy could be helpful for OCD patients with religious content. Conclusion: RCBT have a positive effect on people with religious obsessive -compulsive. PMID:29387669

  18. Predictors of illness anxiety symptoms in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Reuman, Lillian; Jacoby, Ryan J; Blakey, Shannon M; Riemann, Bradley C; Leonard, Rachel C; Abramowitz, Jonathan S

    2017-10-01

    Illness anxiety and OCD symptoms appear to overlap in their presentation as well as in other conceptually important ways (e.g., dysfunctional cognitions). Little research, however, has directly examined these putative relationships. The present study examined the extent to which illness anxiety symptoms were associated with OCD symptom dimensions and relevant cognitive factors in a large treatment-seeking sample of patients with OCD. Patients completed a battery of self-report measures of OCD and health anxiety symptoms and related cognitive biases. Results from regression analyses indicated that illness anxiety symptoms were associated with harm obsessions and checking rituals, as well as with the tendency to overestimate threat and responsibility for harm. Illness anxiety was not associated with perfectionism. Conceptual and clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and family accommodation: A 3-year follow-up.

    PubMed

    Gomes, Juliana Braga; Cordioli, Aristides Volpato; Heldt, Elizeth

    2017-07-01

    The present study assessed 3-year maintenance of family accommodation (FA) reduction in a sample from a randomized clinical trial that assessed the impact of 12 sessions of cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with the involvement of family members in two sessions. Of the 46 original pairs of patients/family members, 35 were assessed at 3 years. Demographic and clinical characteristics remained similar. Post-CBGT improvement of OCD symptoms remained significant; FA reduced 39% after the therapy and 51% at follow-up. FA reduction remained over time, underscoring the importance of permanently assessing FA and involving family members when treating OCD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Downsides of Extreme Conscientiousness for Psychological Well-being: The Role of Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies.

    PubMed

    Carter, Nathan T; Guan, Li; Maples, Jessica L; Williamson, Rachel L; Miller, Joshua D

    2016-08-01

    Although conscientiousness exhibits positive relations with psychological well-being, theoretical and empirical work suggests individuals can be too conscientious, resulting in obsessive-compulsiveness, and therein less positive individual outcomes. However, the potential for curvilinearity between conscientiousness and well-being has been underexplored. We measured 912 subjects on facets of conscientiousness, obsessive-compulsive personality, and well-being variables (life satisfaction, job satisfaction, self-esteem, positive affect, negative affect, work stress). Methods of scoring included traditional sum-scoring, traditional item response theory (IRT), and a relatively new IRT approach. Structural models were estimated to evaluate curvilinearity. Results confirmed the curvilinear relationship between conscientiousness and well-being, and demonstrated that differential facet-level relationships underlie weaker curvilinearity at the general trait level. Consistency was found in the strength of relation between conscientiousness facets with their obsessive-compulsive variants and their contribution to decreased well-being. The most common association was that higher standing on conscientiousness facets was positively related to negative affect. Findings support the idea that extreme standing on facets of conscientiousness more strongly linked to their obsessive-compulsive variants contributed to lower well-being, highlighting the importance of considering alternative functional representations of the relationship between personality and other constructs. Future work should seek to further clarify the link between conscientiousness and negative affect. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. A pilot study on the validity of using pictures and videos for individualized symptom provocation in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Simon, Daniela; Kischkel, Eva; Spielberg, Rüdiger; Kathmann, Norbert

    2012-06-30

    Distressing symptom-related anxiety is difficult to study in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) due to the disorder's heterogeneity. Our aim was to develop and validate a set of pictures and films comprising a variety of prominent OCD triggers that can be used for individually tailored symptom provocation in experimental studies. In a two-staged production procedure a large pool of OCD triggers and neutral contents was produced and preselected by three psychotherapists specialized in OCD. A sample of 13 OCD patients and 13 controls rated their anxiety, aversiveness and arousal during exposure to OCD-relevant, aversive and neutral control stimuli. Our findings demonstrate differences between the responses of patients and controls to OCD triggers only. Symptom-related anxiety was stronger in response to dynamic compared with static OCD-relevant stimuli. Due to the small number of 13 patients included in the study, only tentative conclusions can be drawn and this study merely provides a first step of validation. These standardized sets constitute valuable tools that can be used in experimental studies on the brain correlates of OCD symptoms and for the study of therapeutic interventions in order to contribute to future developments in the field. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Autogenous and reactive obsessions: further evidence for a two-factor model of obsessions.

    PubMed

    Moulding, Richard; Kyrios, Michael; Doron, Guy; Nedeljkovic, Maja

    2007-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a highly disabling anxiety disorder, characterized by occurrence of intrusive and unwanted thoughts (obsessions), which lead to performance of repetitive compulsions and/or rituals in order to reduce distress. Recently, it has been proposed that obsessions may be divided into two categories, termed autogenous and reactive obsessions [Lee, H.-J., & Kwon, S.-M. (2003). Two different types of obsessions: autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions. Behavior Research and Therapy, 41, 11-29]. In this study, we aimed to further validate this subtyping of obsessions, and to investigate the cognitive and emotional correlates of the subtypes. Evidence was found for the division, using a confirmatory factor analysis in an analogue sample (N=372). It was found that frequency of reactive obsessions related more strongly to distress caused by overt OC symptoms (e.g., washing, checking), whereas frequency of autogenous obsessions related to distress from impulses of harm. Compared to autogenous obsessions, frequency of reactive obsessions correlated more strongly with all OC-related beliefs. Few differences were found between autogenous and reactive obsessions with respect to depression, anxiety, and view about self (self-ambivalence, self-esteem). It is suggested that existing OC-belief measures are more relevant to reactive obsessions. Implications for theory and treatment are discussed.

  3. Controlled comparison of family cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoeducation/relaxation training for child obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Piacentini, John; Bergman, R Lindsey; Chang, Susanna; Langley, Audra; Peris, Tara; Wood, Jeffrey J; McCracken, James

    2011-11-01

    To examine the efficacy of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) plus a structured family intervention (FCBT) versus psychoeducation plus relaxation training (PRT) for reducing symptom severity, functional impairment, and family accommodation in youths with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A total of 71 youngsters 8 to 17 years of age (mean 12.2 years; range, 8-17 years, 37% male, 78% Caucasian) with primary OCD were randomized (70:30) to 12 sessions over 14 weeks of FCBT or PRT. Blind raters assessed outcomes with responders followed for 6 months to assess treatment durability. FCBT led to significantly higher response rates than PRT in ITT (57.1% vs 27.3%) and completer analyses (68.3% vs. 35.3%). Using HLM, FCBT was associated with significantly greater change in OCD severity and child-reported functional impairment than PRT and marginally greater change in parent-reported accommodation of symptoms. These findings were confirmed in some, but not all, secondary analyses. Clinical remission rates were 42.5% for FCBT versus 17.6% for PRT. Reduction in family accommodation temporally preceded improvement in OCD for both groups and child functional status for FCBT only. Treatment gains were maintained at 6 months. FCBT is effective for reducing OCD severity and impairment. Importantly, treatment also reduced parent-reported involvement in symptoms with reduced accommodation preceding reduced symptom severity and functional impairment. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY INFORMATION: Behavior Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00000386. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Doubt and the decision-making process in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Nestadt, Gerald; Kamath, Vidyulata; Maher, Brion S; Krasnow, Janice; Nestadt, Paul; Wang, Ying; Bakker, Arnold; Samuels, Jack

    2016-11-01

    The diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is based on the presence of specific symptoms and their consequence in the lives of those that exhibit them. It is likely that these symptoms emerge from a neurocognitive vulnerability in the mental life of the individual which has a basis in neurophysiology. The prominence of doubt/uncertainty/lack of confidence (These terms are used interchangeably in this paper.), in the clinical presentation of many patients suffering from OCD leads to our consideration of the cognitive basis for this phenomenon. In this paper, we propose that OCD emerges from a perturbation in the decision-making process. Specifically, we hypothesize that there is diminished confidence, conviction, or certainty with regard to assimilating the information necessary to reach a decision. Recent advances in the neuroscience of decision-making provide an opportunity to further our understanding of the vulnerability underlying OCD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Electroconvulsive therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Fontenelle, Leonardo F; Coutinho, Evandro S F; Lins-Martins, Natália M; Fitzgerald, Paul B; Fujiwara, Hironobo; Yücel, Murat

    2015-07-01

    Surgical therapies for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), such as deep brain stimulation or psychosurgery, remain unattainable for many patients. Despite the long-held view that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an ineffective treatment for OCD, there is no systematic review to support or refute this claim, which is the basis of the current review. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and LILACS databases was conducted on December 22, 2013, using the terms obsessive-compulsive disorder and electroconvulsive therapy. Reference lists, specific journals, and clinical trial registries were also scrutinized. No date or language limitation was imposed on the search. After irrelevant and redundant records from the 500 identified titles were excluded, the 50 articles reporting the acute treatment effects of ECT in OCD and related constructs (involving a total of 279 patients) were analyzed for this study. The relevant sociodemographic, clinical, and outcome data of individual cases were extracted. Data from individual cases were used to compare the characteristics of responders versus nonresponders to ECT. Most selected records were case reports/series; there were no randomized controlled trials. A positive response was reported in 60.4% of the 265 cases in which individual responses to ECT were available. ECT responders exhibited a significantly later onset of OCD symptoms (P = .003), were more frequently nondepressed (P = .009), more commonly reported being treated with ECT for severe OCD (P = .01), and received a fewer number of ECT sessions (P = .03). ECT responders were also less frequently previously treated with adequate trials of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (P = .05) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (P = .005). Although 60% of the reported cases reviewed exhibited some form of a positive response to ECT, it cannot be stated that this provides evidence that ECT is indeed effective for OCD. © Copyright 2015 Physicians

  6. Cognitive Appraisals in Young People with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Libby, Sarah; Reynolds, Shirley; Derisley, Jo; Clark, Sarah

    2004-01-01

    Background: A number of cognitive appraisals have been identified as important in the manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults. There have, however, been few attempts to explore these cognitive appraisals in clinical groups of young people. Method: This study compared young people aged between 11 and 18 years with OCD (N =…

  7. Sleep disruption is related to poor response inhibition in individuals with obsessive-compulsive and repetitive negative thought symptoms.

    PubMed

    Nota, Jacob A; Schubert, Jessica R; Coles, Meredith E

    2016-03-01

    Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) are associated with poor inhibitory control. Sleep disruptions may partially mediate these relations and/or act as a "second hit" to individuals with OC symptoms and RNT. Models including habitual (past month) hours slept and bedtimes were tested. We employed a go/no-go task that allowed us to examine the relation between sleep and inhibition with various task contingencies. Sixty-seven unselected individuals were recruited from the participant pool at a public university. Bias-corrected bootstrap estimates did not show that sleep disruption mediated the relation between OC symptoms and response inhibition nor the relation between RNT and response inhibition. Multiple linear regression analyses found significant interactions between hours slept and OC symptom severity and between RNT and hours slept to predict poor response inhibition. Hours slept significantly negatively predicted commission errors when OC symptoms and RNT levels were relatively heightened but not when OC symptoms and RNT levels were relatively low. These effects were present in blocks where task contingencies were designed to shape a no-go bias. No significant relations were found with habitual bedtimes. The cross-sectional study design precludes testing the temporal precedence of symptoms in the "second hit" model. The unselected sample also limits generalization to clinical samples. These findings support a "second hit" model of interaction between sleep disruption and perseverative thoughts and behaviors. Further research on the mechanisms of the relation between sleep disruption and perseverative thought symptoms (OC and RNT) is warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Initial validation of a transdiagnostic compulsivity questionnaire: the Cambridge-Chicago Compulsivity Trait Scale.

    PubMed

    Chamberlain, Samuel R; Grant, Jon E

    2018-05-07

    Compulsivity refers to a tendency toward repetitive habitual behaviors. Multiple disorders have compulsive symptoms at their core, including substance use disorders, gambling disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The aim of this study was to validate a scale for the objective, transdiagnostic measurement of compulsivity. The 15-item Cambridge-Chicago Compulsivity Trait Scale (CHI-T) was developed for the rapid but comprehensive measurement of compulsivity. Adults aged 18-29y were recruited using media advertisements, and completed the CHI-T in addition to demographic, clinical, and cognitive assessment. The validity and psychometric properties of the scale were quantified. A total of 112 participants completed the study. The scale yielded a normal distribution with very few outliers. It had excellent psychometric properties, with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.8), and excellent convergent validity against gold-standard assessments of compulsive symptoms (each p<0.001 for gambling disorder, obsessive-compulsive, and substance use disorder symptoms). Total scores on the scale correlated significantly with less risk-adjustment on the decision-making task (rigid response style), and divergent validity was confirmed against other cognitive domains (response inhibition and executive planning). The above significant findings withstood Bonferroni correction. Factor analysis suggested the existence of two latent factors: one related mainly to reward-seeking and the need for perfection, and the other relating to anxiolytic/soothing features of compulsivity. The CHI-T, a scale designed to measure transdiagnostic compulsivity, appears to show excellent psychometric properties in a normative population and merits further investigation in the context of clinical patient populations, including in treatment trials.

  9. Choreatic Side Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anteromedial Subthalamic Nucleus for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Mulders, Anne E P; Leentjens, Albert F G; Schruers, Koen; Duits, Annelien; Ackermans, Linda; Temel, Yasin

    2017-08-01

    Patients with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are potential candidates for deep brain stimulation (DBS). The anteromedial subthalamic nucleus (STN) is among the most commonly used targets for DBS in OCD. We present a patient with a 30-year history of treatment-resistant OCD who underwent anteromedial STN-DBS. Despite a clear mood-enhancing effect, stimulation caused motor side effects, including bilateral hyperkinesia, dyskinesias, and sudden large amplitude choreatic movements of arms and legs when stimulating at voltages greater than approximately 1.5 V. DBS at lower amplitudes and at other contact points failed to result in a significant reduction of obsessions and compulsions without inducing motor side effects. Because of this limitation in programming options, we decided to reoperate and target the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS), which resulted in a substantial reduction in key obsessive and compulsive symptoms without serious side effects. Choreatic movements and hemiballismus have previously been linked to STN dysfunction and have been incidentally reported as side effects of DBS of the dorsolateral STN in Parkinson disease (PD). However, in PD, these side effects were usually transient, and they rarely interfered with DBS programming. In our patient, the motor side effects were persistent, and they made optimal DBS programming impossible. To our knowledge, such severe and persistent motor side effects have not been described previously for anteromedial STN-DBS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Supplementary Motor Area in Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment: a Sham-Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Pelissolo, Antoine; Harika-Germaneau, Ghina; Rachid, Fady; Gaudeau-Bosma, Christian; Tanguy, Marie-Laure; BenAdhira, Rene; Bouaziz, Noomane; Popa, Traian; Wassouf, Issa; Saba, Ghassen; Januel, Dominique; Jaafari, Nematollah

    2016-08-01

    Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been explored in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, but with negative or conflicting results. This randomized double-blind study was designed to assess the efficacy of 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the presupplementary area. Forty medication-resistant patients were assigned to 4 weeks of either active or sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the presupplementary area with the help of a neuronavigation system. According to the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale, the baseline-week 4 evolution showed no significant differences between groups. Responder rates at week 4 were not different between groups (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation 10.5% vs sham 20%; P=.63). Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the presupplementary area seems ineffective for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, at least in severe and drug-refractory cases such as those included in this study. Further research is required to determine profiles of responder patients and appropriate repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation parameters for obsessive-compulsive disorder. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

  11. An Avoidance-Based Rodent Model of Exposure With Response Prevention Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez-Romaguera, Jose; Greenberg, Benjamin D; Rasmussen, Steven A; Quirk, Gregory J

    2016-10-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder is treated with exposure with response prevention (ERP) therapy, in which patients are repeatedly exposed to compulsive triggers but prevented from expressing their compulsions. Many compulsions are an attempt to avoid perceived dangers, and the intent of ERP is to extinguish compulsions. Patients failing ERP therapy are candidates for deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum, which facilitates patients' response to ERP therapy. An animal model of ERP would be useful for understanding the neural mechanisms of extinction in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Using a platform-mediated signaled avoidance task, we developed a rodent model of ERP called extinction with response prevention (Ext-RP), in which avoidance-conditioned rats are given extinction trials while blocking access to the avoidance platform. Following 3 days of Ext-RP, rats were tested with the platform unblocked to evaluate persistent avoidance. We then assessed if pharmacologic inactivation of lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) or DBS of the ventral striatum reduced persistent avoidance. Following Ext-RP training, most rats showed reduced avoidance at test (Ext-RP success), but a subset persisted in their avoidance (Ext-RP failure). Pharmacologic inactivation of lOFC eliminated persistent avoidance, as did DBS applied to the ventral striatum during Ext-RP. DBS of ventral striatum has been previously shown to inhibit lOFC activity. Thus, activity in lOFC, which is known to be hyperactive in obsessive-compulsive disorder, may be responsible for impairing patients' response to ERP therapy. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Differences in clinical intrusive thoughts between obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and hypochondria.

    PubMed

    Romero-Sanchiz, Pablo; Nogueira-Arjona, Raquel; Godoy-Ávila, Antonio; Gavino-Lázaro, Aurora; Freeston, Mark H

    2017-11-01

    Differences and similarities between intrusive thoughts typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and hypochondriasis are relevant for their differential diagnosis, formulation, and psychological treatment. Previous research in non-clinical samples pointed out the relevance of some process variables, such as responsibility, guilt, or neutralization strategies. This research is aimed to investigate the differences and similarities between clinical obsessions, worries, and illness intrusions in some of these process variables. A second aim is to identify models based on these variables that could reliably differentiate between them. Three groups of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 35; 60% women, mean age 38.57), generalized anxiety disorder (n = 36; 61.1% women, mean age 41.50), and hypochondriasis (n = 34; 70.6% women, mean age 31.59) were evaluated using the Cognitive Intrusions Questionnaire-Transdiagnostic Version (Romero-Sanchiz, Nogueira-Arjona, Godoy-Ávila, Gavino-Lázaro, & Freeston, ). The results showed that some appraisals (e.g., responsibility or egodystonicity), emotions (e.g., guilt or insecurity), neutralization strategies, and other variables (e.g., verbal content or trigger from body sensation) are relevant for the discrimination between obsessions, worries, and illness intrusions. The results also showed 3 stable models based on these variables for the discrimination between these thoughts. The implication of these results in the diagnosis, formulation, and psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and hypochondriasis is discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Reduction of N-acetylaspartate in the medial prefrontal cortex correlated with symptom severity in obsessive-compulsive disorder: meta-analyses of 1H-MRS studies

    PubMed Central

    Aoki, Yuta; Aoki, Ai; Suwa, Hiroshi

    2012-01-01

    Structural and functional neuroimaging findings suggest that disturbance of the cortico–striato–thalamo–cortical (CSTC) circuits may underlie obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, some studies with 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) reported altered level of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), they yielded inconsistency in direction and location of abnormality within CSTC circuits. We conducted a comprehensive literature search and a meta-analysis of 1H-MRS studies in OCD. Seventeen met the inclusion criteria for a meta-analysis. Data were separated by frontal cortex region: medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus. The mean and s.d. of the NAA measure were calculated for each region. A random effects model integrating 16 separate datasets with 225 OCD patients and 233 healthy comparison subjects demonstrated that OCD patients exhibit decreased NAA levels in the frontal cortex (P=0.025), but no significant changes in the basal ganglia (P=0.770) or thalamus (P=0.466). Sensitivity analysis in an anatomically specified subgroup consisting of datasets examining the mPFC demonstrated marginally significant reduction of NAA (P=0.061). Meta-regression revealed that NAA reduction in the mPFC was positively correlated with symptom severity measured by Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (P=0.011). The specific reduction of NAA in the mPFC and significant relationship between neurochemical alteration in the mPFC and symptom severity indicate that the mPFC is one of the brain regions that directly related to abnormal behavior in the pathophysiology of OCD. The current meta-analysis indicates that cortices and sub-cortices contribute in different ways to the etiology of OCD. PMID:22892718

  14. The association of anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive personality disorder with anorexia nervosa: evidence from a family study with discussion of nosological and neurodevelopmental implications.

    PubMed

    Strober, Michael; Freeman, Roberta; Lampert, Carlyn; Diamond, Jane

    2007-11-01

    To investigate the association of anorexia nervosa with anxiety disorders through use of a case-control family study design. Lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive personality disorder was determined among 574 first-degree relatives of 152 probands with anorexia nervosa and compared to rates observed among 647 first-degree relatives of 181 never-ill control probands. Adjusting for comorbidity of the same illness in the proband, relatives of probands with anorexia nervosa, had a significantly higher prevalence of generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive personality disorder compared to relatives of never-ill control probands. Anorexia nervosa may share familial liability factors in common with various anxiety phenotypes. In suggesting that a transmitted propensity for anxiety is a key aspect of vulnerability in anorexia nervosa, the findings point to research developments in the affective neurosciences, specifically the neurocircuitry of fear and anxiety, as a heuristic framework in which to interpret aspects of premorbid temperamental anxieties and clinical symptoms. (c) 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Using direct-to-consumer marketing strategies with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the nonprofit sector.

    PubMed

    Szymanski, Jeff

    2012-06-01

    Three to four million individuals struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the United States at any given time. OCD can be a debilitating disorder associated with significant quality-of-life and occupational impairment. First-line treatments for OCD (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and exposure and response prevention therapy) have been shown to be effective; yet, many individuals suffering from OCD experience multiple barriers to accessing these treatments. In fact, it can take as many as 17 years from onset of symptoms to effective treatment. Given the need to increase access to and utilization of effective treatments, direct-to-consumer marketing in the context of OCD appears crucial. The International OCD Foundation (formerly the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation) was established as a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate the public and mental health professionals about appropriate practice guidelines, raise awareness of the disorder, and ensure that individuals looking for treatment find the necessary resources. This paper reviews the obstacles those struggling with OCD face in their attempts to alleviate suffering, as well as the direct-to-consumer strategies and tactics used by the International OCD Foundation to improve access to empirically supported, effective treatment. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. [Current and emerging features of obsessive-compulsive disorder--trends for the revision of DSM-5].

    PubMed

    Matsunaga, Hisato

    2012-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized as significant impairment of cognitive-behavioral inhibition, which is causally associated with cognitive processes evoking anxiety, along with increased desire for perfect control over the possible harm, at least in typical OCD patients who have compulsions in response to obsessions. However, OCD has been well conceptualized as a multidimensional and heterogeneous disorder apparently comprising a number of potentially valid subtypes. For example, OCD can be diagnosed by either obsessions or compulsions, and a certain type of OCD patient has only compulsions in response to rules that must be applied rigidly. They often become stuck as a result of rigid rules in every step of their daily working and social life. This type of compulsive behavior is often triggered by specific sensory phenomena such as sight, touch, or personal expression (e. g. need to express himself precisely in written or spoken words). Thus, such OCD patients usually perform their compulsions in order to relieve sensory phenomena such as feelings of incompleteness and urges to reach a specific sensation of feeling "just right", and are less likely to have obsessions or cognitive processes preceding the repetitive behaviors. This type of OCD has also been characterized as "tic-related" and tends to have comorbid conditions such as tic disorders, ADHD or skin picking. Indeed, there are some crucial and significant differences in the psychopathology, phenomenology, and putative biological bases between OCD patients with obsession-related compulsions (cognitive type) and those with compulsions repeated according to rigid rules (motoric type). Because of the substantial heterogeneity of OCD, it seems to be beyond the traditional learning model in which anxiety-driven obsessions entrain neutralizing compulsions and also beyond the essential features of anxiety disorders commonly characterized by psychopathological characteristics such as marked and

  17. An Autistic Dimension: A Proposed Subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bejerot, Susanne

    2007-01-01

    This article focuses on the possibility that autism spectrum disorder (ASD: Asperger syndrome, autism and atypical autism) in its milder forms may be clinically important among a substantial proportion of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and discusses OCD subtypes based on this proposition. The hypothesis derives from extensive…

  18. Randomized controlled trial of parent-enhanced CBT compared with individual CBT for obsessive-compulsive disorder in young people.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Shirley A; Clark, Sarah; Smith, Holly; Langdon, Peter E; Payne, Ruth; Bowers, Gemma; Norton, Elisabeth; McIlwham, Harriet

    2013-12-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people can be effectively treated with Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Practice guidelines in the United Kingdom recommend that CBT be delivered with parental or family involvement; however, there is no evidence from randomized trials that this enhances effectiveness. The aim of this trial was to assess if CBT with high parental involvement was more effective than CBT with low parental involvement (individual CBT) in reducing symptoms of OCD. Fifty young people ages 12-17 years with OCD were randomly allocated to individual CBT or parent-enhanced CBT. In parent-enhanced CBT parents attended all treatment sessions; in individual CBT, parents attended only Sessions 1, 7, and the final session. Participants received up to 14 sessions of CBT. Data were analyzed using intent-to-treat and per-protocol methods. The primary outcome measure was the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsion Scale (Scahill et al., 1997). Both forms of CBT significantly reduced symptoms of OCD and anxiety. Change in OCD symptoms was maintained at 6 months. Per-protocol analysis suggested that parent-enhanced CBT may be associated with significantly larger reductions in anxiety symptoms. High and low parental involvement in CBT for OCD in young people were both effective, and there was no evidence that 1 method of delivery was superior on the primary outcome measure. However, this study was small. Future trials should be adequately powered and examine interactions with the age of the young person and comorbid anxiety disorders.

  19. Streptococcal upper respiratory tract infections and exacerbations of tic and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a prospective longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Leckman, James F; King, Robert A; Gilbert, Donald L; Coffey, Barbara J; Singer, Harvey S; Dure, Leon S; Grantz, Heidi; Katsovich, Liliya; Lin, Haiqun; Lombroso, Paul J; Kawikova, Ivana; Johnson, Dwight R; Kurlan, Roger M; Kaplan, Edward L

    2011-02-01

    The objective of this blinded, prospective, longitudinal study was to determine whether new group A β hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections are temporally associated with exacerbations of tic or obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in children who met published criteria for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). A group of children with Tourette syndrome and/or OC disorder without a PANDAS history served as the comparison (non-PANDAS) group. Consecutive clinical ratings of tic and OC symptom severity were obtained for 31 PANDAS subjects and 53 non-PANDAS subjects. Clinical symptoms and laboratory values (throat cultures and streptococcal antibody titers) were evaluated at regular intervals during a 25-month period. Additional testing occurred at the time of any tic or OC symptom exacerbation. New GABHS infections were established by throat swab cultures and/or recent significant rise in streptococcal antibodies. Laboratory personnel were blinded to case or control status, clinical (exacerbation or not) condition, and clinical evaluators were blinded to the laboratory results. No group differences were observed in the number of clinical exacerbations or the number of newly diagnosed GABHS infections. On only six occasions of a total of 51 (12%), a newly diagnosed GABHS infection was followed, within 2 months, by an exacerbation of tic and/or OC symptoms. In every instance, this association occurred in the non-PANDAS group. This study provides no evidence for a temporal association between GABHS infections and tic/OC symptom exacerbations in children who meet the published PANDAS diagnostic criteria. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Cognitive and Clinical Characteristics of Sexual and Religious Obsessions

    PubMed Central

    Siev, Jedidiah; Steketee, Gail; Fama, Jeanne M.; Wilhelm, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    Sexual and religious obsessions are often grouped together as unacceptable thoughts, symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder hypothesized to be maintained by maladaptive beliefs about the importance and control of thoughts. Although there is empirical justification for this typology, there are several reasons to suspect that sexual and religious obsessions may differ with respect to associated obsessional beliefs and personality traits. In this study, we examined the associations between sexual and religious obsessions (separately) and (a) putatively obsessional cognitive styles, especially beliefs about the importance and control of thoughts, and responsibility, (b) obsessive-compulsive personality traits, and (c) schizotypal personality traits. Whereas sexual obsessions were predicted only by increased beliefs about the importance and control of thoughts, and contamination obsessions were predicted only by inflated responsibility appraisals and threat estimation, religious obsessions were independently predicted by both of these constructs. In addition, only religious obsessions were related to self-reported obsessive-compulsive personality traits. Researchers and clinicians should be cognizant of potentially important distinctions between sexual and religious obsessions, and the possibility that scrupulous OCD shares processes with both autogenous and reactive presentations. PMID:25045202

  1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: a disorder of pessimal (non-functional) motor behavior.

    PubMed

    Zor, R; Keren, H; Hermesh, H; Szechtman, H; Mort, J; Eilam, D

    2009-10-01

    To determine whether in addition to repetitiveness, the motor rituals of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involve reduced functionality due to numerous and measurable acts that are irrelevant and unnecessary for task completion. Comparing motor rituals of OCD patients with behavior of non-patient control individuals who were instructed to perform the same motor task. Obsessive-compulsive disorder behavior comprises abundant acts that were not performed by the controls. These acts seem unnecessary or even irrelevant for the task that the patients were performing, and therefore are termed 'non-functional'. Non-functional acts comprise some 60% of OCD motor behavior. Moreover, OCD behavior consists of short chains of functional acts bounded by long chains of non-functional acts. The abundance of irrelevant or unnecessary acts in OCD motor rituals represents reduced functionality in terms of task completion, typifying OCD rituals as pessimal behavior (antonym of optimal behavior).

  2. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and personal disposition, family coherence and school environment in Chinese adolescents: a resilience approach.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jing; Li, Zhan-Jiang; Buys, Nicholas J; Storch, Eric A; Wang, Ji-sheng

    2014-10-01

    Risk factors of adolescents with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OC) have been extensively examined, but protective resilience factors have not been explored, particularly in Chinese adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the association of resilience factors with the occurrence of OC and its symptoms in Chinese adolescents. This study consisted of two phases. The first phase used a cross-sectional design involving a stratified clustered non-clinical sample of 3185 secondary school students. A clinical interview procedure was then employed to diagnose OC in students who had a Leyton Obsessional Inventory 'yes' score of ≥15. The second phase used a case-control study design to analyse the relationship between resilience factors and OC in a matched sample of 288 adolescents with diagnosed OC relative to 246 healthy adolescents. Low personal disposition scores in self-fulfilment, flexibility and self-esteem, and low peer relation scores in the school environment were associated with a higher probability of having OC. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that OC symptoms were significantly associated with personal dispositions, poor peer relationships and maladaptive social life, but not to family coherence. The study is not prospective in nature, so the causal relationship between OC occurrence and resilience factors cannot be confirmed. Second, the use of self-report instruments in personal disposition, family coherence, and school environment may be a source of error. Resilience factors at both the personal disposition and school environment levels are important predictors of OC symptoms and caseness. Future studies using prospective designs are needed to confirm these relationships. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Young Children: An Intervention Model and Case Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginsburg, Golda S.; Burstein, Marcy; Becker, Kimberly D.; Drake, Kelly L.

    2011-01-01

    This article presents an intervention model for young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The intervention, designed to reduce compulsive behavior and improve parenting practices, was tested using a multiple baseline design with 7 children (M = 6 years old; 57% female) in which participants were randomly assigned to 1, 2, or 3 weeks…

  4. Cortisol and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels Prior to Treatment in Children With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Şimşek, Şeref; Gençoğlan, Salih; Yüksel, Tuğba; Kaplan, İbrahim; Alaca, Rümeysa

    2016-07-01

    In this study, we investigated serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol levels between children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) prior to treatment and healthy controls. In addition, the study aimed to assess any correlations between OCD symptom severity and BDNF, ACTH, and cortisol levels. Twenty-nine children, aged from 7 to 17 years (male/female: 21/8) and diagnosed with OCD according to DSM-IV prior to treatment, were compared with 25 healthy control subjects (male/female: 16/9). The study was conducted between December 2012 and December 2013. The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) were administered to the children. BDNF, ACTH, and cortisol levels were detected using a prepared kit with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. BDNF, ACTH, and cortisol levels in the OCD group were significantly higher when compared with the control group (P = .02, P = .03, and P = .046, respectively). No association was detected between the severity and duration of OCD symptoms and BDNF, ACTH, and cortisol levels. CDI scores in both groups were similar. The mean (SD) duration of OCD symptoms was 17.9 (18.5) months. Our findings suggest that BDNF levels adaptively increase as a result of the damaging effects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity on brain tissue in the early stages of OCD. HPA axis abnormalities and BDNF may play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. © Copyright 2016 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  5. Anterior cingulate glutamate-glutamine levels predict symptom severity in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Yücel, Murat; Wood, Stephen J; Wellard, R Mark; Harrison, Ben J; Fornito, Alex; Pujol, Jesus; Velakoulis, Dennis; Pantelis, Christos

    2008-06-01

    Abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) have consistently been identified in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but very few studies have examined the biochemical basis of such changes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how ACC biochemistry in OCD varies as a function of gender, hemisphere, subregion, and symptomatology. 3 T proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to probe ACC biochemistry in 20 OCD patients (10 male, 10 female) and a comparable group of 26 healthy comparison subjects. Data were acquired from the left and right dorsal and rostral subregions of the ACC. Metabolites assessed included N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate-glutamine (Glx), choline-containing compounds (Cho), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr), and myoinositol-containing compounds (mI). Female OCD patients had significantly reduced levels of Glx in all but one subregion of the ACC when compared to matched controls. Levels of Glx were correlated with clinical measures of symptom severity in female but not male patients. State levels of anxiety and depression did not explain this association. In addition, both male and female OCD patients had relatively higher concentrations of mI in their right ACC (rostral and dorsal) compared with healthy controls. No other compounds had any statistically significant group differences, nor were the concentrations of any other compounds correlated with symptom measures. To the authors' knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate gender-specific neurochemical changes in OCD. Although these findings are tentative and require replication, they raise the possibility that MRS techniques may be of use in objectively monitoring patient progress and assessing the effectiveness of various treatments.

  6. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review of the diagnostic criteria and possible subtypes and dimensional specifiers for DSM-V.

    PubMed

    Leckman, James F; Denys, Damiaan; Simpson, H Blair; Mataix-Cols, David; Hollander, Eric; Saxena, Sanjaya; Miguel, Euripedes C; Rauch, Scott L; Goodman, Wayne K; Phillips, Katharine A; Stein, Dan J

    2010-06-01

    Since the publication of the DSM-IV in 1994, research on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has continued to expand. It is timely to reconsider the nosology of this disorder, assessing whether changes to diagnostic criteria as well as subtypes and specifiers may improve diagnostic validity and clinical utility. The existing criteria were evaluated. Key issues were identified. Electronic databases of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and PsycINFO were searched for relevant studies. This review presents a number of options and preliminary recommendations to be considered for DSM-V. These include: (1) clarifying and simplifying the definition of obsessions and compulsions (criterion A); (2) possibly deleting the requirement that people recognize that their obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable (criterion B); (3) rethinking the clinical significance criterion (criterion C) and, in the interim, possibly adjusting what is considered "time-consuming" for OCD; (4) listing additional disorders to help with the differential diagnosis (criterion D); (5) rethinking the medical exclusion criterion (criterion E) and clarifying what is meant by a "general medical condition"; (6) revising the specifiers (i.e., clarifying that OCD can involve a range of insight, in addition to "poor insight," and adding "tic-related OCD"); and (7) highlighting in the DSM-V text important clinical features of OCD that are not currently mentioned in the criteria (e.g., the major symptom dimensions). A number of changes to the existing diagnostic criteria for OCD are proposed. These proposed criteria may change as the DSM-V process progresses. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  7. Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenia: The Case of Sam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peasley-Miklus, Catherine; Massie, Elise; Baslett, Gaston; Carmin, Cheryl

    2005-01-01

    This article describes the case of Sam, a 22-year-old male with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia. The patient's background, the development and characteristics of his OCD and schizophrenia, and the history of what became a rather complicated treatment are described. In addition, four problem areas of therapy are identified.

  8. External Error Monitoring in Subclinical Obsessive-Compulsive Subjects: Electrophysiological Evidence from a Gambling Task

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Rong; Chen, Xingui; Dong, Yi; Li, Dan; Zhang, Long; Li, Dandan; Wang, Kai

    2014-01-01

    Background Feedback-related negativity (FRN) is believed to be an important electrophysiology index of “external” negative feedback processing. Previous studies on FRN in obsessive-compulsive (OC) individuals are scarce and controversial. In these studies, anxiety symptoms were not evaluated in detail. However, OC disorders have a number of radical differences from anxiety disorders. It is necessary to study FRN and its neuroanatomical correlates in OC individuals without anxious symptoms. Methods A total of 628 undergraduate students completed an OC questionnaire. We chose 14 students who scored in the upper 10% and 14 students who scored in the lowest 10% without anxiety symptoms as a subclinical OC group (SOC) and a low obsessive-compulsive group (LOC). The students all performed the revised Iowa Gambling Task. We used the event-related potentials (ERP) and standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) to track external negative feedback processing and its substrate in the brain. Results Our study revealed poorer decision-making ability and greater FRN amplitudes in SOC subjects compared with LOC controls. The SOC subjects displayed anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) hyperactivation during the loss feedback condition. Specifically, we found an intercorrelation of current source density during the loss condition between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and aPFC in the LOC subjects but not in the SOC group. Conclusions Our results support the notion that overactive external feedback error processing may reflect a candidate endophenotype of OC. We also provide important information on the dysfunction in the interaction between aPFC and dACC in populations with OC. Nevertheless, the findings support that OC may be distinguished from other anxiety disorders using a new electrophysiology perspective. PMID:24609106

  9. A Review of Metacognition in Psychological Models of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rees, Clare S.; Anderson, Rebecca A.

    2013-01-01

    Cognitive-behavioural models and interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have always included some metacognitive elements but until recently these have been predominantly construed of as cognitive as opposed to metacognitive processes. Increasingly, psychological models of OCD are now recognising the importance of metacognitive…

  10. Developmental Alterations of Frontal-Striatal-Thalamic Connectivity in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzgerald, Kate Dimond; Welsh, Robert C.; Stern, Emily R.; Angstadt, Mike; Hanna, Gregory L.; Abelson, James L.; Taylor, Stephan F.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by abnormalities of frontal-striatal-thalamic circuitry that appear near illness onset and persist over its course. Distinct frontal-striatal-thalamic loops through cortical centers for cognitive control (anterior cingulate cortex) and emotion processing (ventral medial frontal…

  11. Assessment and Management of Treatment-Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children

    PubMed Central

    Bloch, Michael H.; Storch, Eric A.

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To review the assessment and treatment of treatment-refractory pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD A PubMed search was conducted to identify controlled trials in pediatric OCD. Additionally, practice guidelines for the treatment of adults and children were further reviewed for references in treatment-refractory OCD across the lifespan. RESULTS Pharmacotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive-behavioral therapy are effective treatments for pediatric OCD. Evidence suggests that CBT is additionally effective even in pediatric patients with refractory OCD symptoms. Antipsychotic augmentation, raising SSRI dosage, and several glutamate-modulating agents have some evidence of efficacy in adults with treatment-refractory OCD but have not been studied in pediatric populations. CONCLUSION Several pharmacological treatment options exist for children with refractory OCD symptoms. However, little evidence-based data exist to guide treatment for our most challenging pediatric OCD patients. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy/side-effect profile of commonly used interventions in treatment-refractory pediatric OCD. PMID:25791142

  12. Sudden gains in exposure therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Collins, Lindsey M; Coles, Meredith E

    2017-06-01

    Prior research in the treatment of depression and anxiety has demonstrated that a sudden reduction in symptoms between two consecutive sessions (sudden gain) is related to lower post-treatment symptom severity (e.g. Hofmann, Schulz, Meuret, Moscovitch, & Suvak, 2006; Tang & DeRubeis, 1999). However, only one study has examined sudden gains in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In that study, one-third of the patients with OCD experienced a sudden gain (Aderka et al., 2012). Further, patients who had a sudden gain had lower clinician-rated OCD symptom severity post-treatment (Aderka et al., 2012). In replication, the current study examined the frequency, characteristics, and clinical impact of sudden gains in 27 OCD patients during exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. Fifty two percent of patients experienced a sudden gain. The mean magnitude of a sudden gain represented, on average, 61.4% of total symptom reduction. Following treatment, individuals who had experienced a sudden gain were rated as less severe on the clinical global impression scale, but they did not experience a greater reduction in OCD symptoms (pre-to post-treatment) than those without a sudden gain. None of the pre-treatment characteristics tested were found to significantly predict whether a patient would have a sudden gain. Additional research examining predictors of, and patterns of, change in OCD symptoms is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Hoarding behavior among young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Frank, Hannah; Stewart, Elyse; Walther, Michael; Benito, Kristen; Freeman, Jennifer; Conelea, Christ; Garci, Abbe

    2014-01-01

    Previous research has shown that among the various subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), adults (e.g. Frost, Krause & Steketee, 1996) and older children and adolescents (Bloch et al., 2009; Storch et al., 2007) with problematic hoarding have distinct features and a poor treatment prognosis. However, there is limited information on the phenomenology and prevalence of hoarding behaviors in young children. The present study characterizes children ages 10 and under who present with OCD and hoarding behaviors. Sixty-eight children received a structured interview-determined diagnosis of OCD. Clinician administered, parent-report, and child-report measures on demographic, symptomatic, and diagnostic variables were completed. Clinician ratings of hoarding symptoms and parent and child endorsement of the hoarding item on the CY-BOCS checklist (Scahill, Riddle, McSwiggin-Hardin, & Ort, 1997) determined inclusion in the hoarding group ( n =33). Compared to children without hoarding symptoms ( n =35), the presence of hoarding symptoms was associated with an earlier age of primary diagnosis onset and a higher proportion of ADHD and provisional anxiety diagnoses. These results are partially consistent with the adult literature and with findings in older children (Storch et al., 2007). Additional data on clinical presentation and phenomenology of hoarding are needed to form a developmentally appropriate definition of the behavior.

  14. Hoarding behavior among young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Frank, Hannah; Stewart, Elyse; Walther, Michael; Benito, Kristen; Freeman, Jennifer; Conelea, Christ; Garci, Abbe

    2014-01-01

    Previous research has shown that among the various subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), adults (e.g. Frost, Krause & Steketee, 1996) and older children and adolescents (Bloch et al., 2009; Storch et al., 2007) with problematic hoarding have distinct features and a poor treatment prognosis. However, there is limited information on the phenomenology and prevalence of hoarding behaviors in young children. The present study characterizes children ages 10 and under who present with OCD and hoarding behaviors. Sixty-eight children received a structured interview-determined diagnosis of OCD. Clinician administered, parent-report, and child-report measures on demographic, symptomatic, and diagnostic variables were completed. Clinician ratings of hoarding symptoms and parent and child endorsement of the hoarding item on the CY-BOCS checklist (Scahill, Riddle, McSwiggin-Hardin, & Ort, 1997) determined inclusion in the hoarding group (n=33). Compared to children without hoarding symptoms (n=35), the presence of hoarding symptoms was associated with an earlier age of primary diagnosis onset and a higher proportion of ADHD and provisional anxiety diagnoses. These results are partially consistent with the adult literature and with findings in older children (Storch et al., 2007). Additional data on clinical presentation and phenomenology of hoarding are needed to form a developmentally appropriate definition of the behavior. PMID:24860725

  15. Family Factors Predict Treatment Outcome for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peris, Tara S.; Sugar, Catherine A.; Bergman, R. Lindsey; Chang, Susanna; Langley, Audra; Piacentini, John

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To examine family conflict, parental blame, and poor family cohesion as predictors of treatment outcome for youths receiving family-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (FCBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method: We analyzed data from a sample of youths who were randomized to FCBT (n = 49; 59% male; M age = 12.43 years) as…

  16. Morphometric brain characterization of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: diffeomorphic anatomic registration using exponentiated Lie algebra.

    PubMed

    Tang, Wanjie; Li, Bin; Huang, Xiaoqi; Jiang, Xiaoyu; Li, Fei; Wang, Lijuan; Chen, Taolin; Wang, Jinhui; Gong, Qiyong; Yang, Yanchun

    2013-10-01

    Few studies have used neuroimaging to characterize treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study sought to explore gray matter structure in patients with treatment-refractory OCD and compare it with that of healthy controls. A total of 18 subjects with treatment-refractory OCD and 26 healthy volunteers were analyzed by MRI using a 3.0-T scanner and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Diffeomorphic anatomical registration using exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) was used to identify structural changes in gray matter associated with treatment-refractory OCD. A partial correlation model was used to analyze whether morphometric changes were associated with Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores and illness duration. Gray matter volume did not differ significantly between the two groups. Treatment-refractory OCD patients showed significantly lower gray matter density than healthy subjects in the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and significantly higher gray matter density in the left dorsal striatum (putamen). These changes did not correlate with symptom severity or illness duration. Our findings provide new evidence of deficits in gray matter density in treatment-refractory OCD patients. These patients may show characteristic density abnormalities in the left PCC, MD and dorsal striatum (putamen), which should be verified in longitudinal studies. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania: a phenomenological comparison

    PubMed Central

    Lochner, Christine; Seedat, Soraya; du Toit, Pieter L; Nel, Daniel G; Niehaus, Dana JH; Sandler, Robin; Stein, Dan J

    2005-01-01

    Background Similarities between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and trichotillomania (TTM) have been widely recognized. Nevertheless, there is evidence of important differences between these two disorders. Some authors have conceptualized the disorders as lying on an OCD spectrum of conditions. Methods Two hundred and seventy eight OCD patients (n = 278: 148 male; 130 female) and 54 TTM patients (n = 54; 5 male; 49 female) of all ages were interviewed. Female patients were compared on select demographic and clinical variables, including comorbid axis I and II disorders, and temperament/character profiles. Results OCD patients reported significantly more lifetime disability, but fewer TTM patients reported response to treatment. OCD patients reported higher comorbidity, more harm avoidance and less novelty seeking, more maladaptive beliefs, and more sexual abuse. OCD and TTM symptoms were equally likely to worsen during menstruation, but OCD onset or worsening was more likely associated with pregnancy/puerperium. Conclusions These findings support previous work demonstrating significant differences between OCD and TTM. The classification of TTM as an impulse control disorder is also problematic, and TTM may have more in common with conditions characterized by stereotypical self-injurious symptoms, such as skin-picking. Differences between OCD and TTM may reflect differences in underlying psychobiology, and may necessitate contrasting treatment approaches. PMID:15649315

  18. Family Therapy in Iran: A Case Study of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khodayarifard, Mohammad; McClenon, James

    2011-01-01

    Iranian clinical psychologists have devised family therapy methods that use cognitive behavior models that ft with their collectivist Islamic culture. The authors review Islamic-based strategies and describe family therapy with a culturally specific case of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder. Family therapy, adapted to integrated,…

  19. Cognitive Inflexibility and Frontal-Cortical Activation in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Britton, Jennifer C.; Rauch, Scott L.; Rosso, Isabelle M.; Killgore, William D. S.; Price, Lauren M.; Ragan, Jennifer; Chosak, Anne; Hezel, Dianne M.; Pine, Daniel S.; Leibenluft, Ellen; Pauls, David L.; Jenike, Michael A.; Stewart, S. Evelyn

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Deficits in cognitive flexibility and response inhibition have been linked to perturbations in cortico-striatal-thalamic circuitry in adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although similar cognitive deficits have been identified in pediatric OCD, few neuroimaging studies have been conducted to examine its neural correlates in the…

  20. Uncomplicated and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder in an epidemiologic sample.

    PubMed

    Hollander, E; Greenwald, S; Neville, D; Johnson, J; Hornig, C D; Weissman, M M

    This study investigated lifetime prevalence rates, demographic characteristics, childhood conduct disorder and adult antisocial features, suicide attempts, and cognitive impairment in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) uncomplicated by or comorbid with any other psychiatric disorder. The data are from the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, and the current analyses compared subjects with uncomplicated OCD (no history of any other lifetime psychiatric disorder), comorbid OCD (with any other lifetime disorder), other lifetime psychiatric disorders, and no lifetime psychiatric disorders across these variables. OCD in its uncomplicated and comorbid form had significantly higher rates of childhood conduct symptoms, adult antisocial personality disorder problems, and of suicide attempts than did no or other disorders. Comorbid OCD subjects had higher rates of mild cognitive impairment on the Mini-Mental Status Exam than did subjects with other disorders. These findings suggest that a subgroup of OCD patients may have impulsive features, including childhood conduct disorder symptoms and an increased rate of suicide attempts; wider clinical attention to these outcomes is needed.

  1. Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: an update for advanced practice psychiatric nurses.

    PubMed

    Kameg, Kirstyn Marie; Richardson, Luann; Szpak, Janene Luther

    2015-05-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may have an onset in childhood or adolescence resulting in significant functional impairment and disability into adulthood. There are frequently developmental differences in the content of the obsessions and compulsions in youth compared to adults. Lack of insight or shame may result in failure of the youth to seek treatment. This delay in treatment may lead to the development of other psychiatric comorbidities, including suicide. Evidence-based treatments for OCD include cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure/response prevention, and in moderate to severe cases, use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is indicated. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses are in a unique position to provide psychoeducation, psychotherapy, and medications, if indicated, to youth with this condition to improve functioning and reduce morbidity and mortality. This article will provide an overview of the diagnostic criteria for OCD, etiologies, assessment strategies, differential diagnoses, common comorbidities, and evidence-based treatment options. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Deficits of organizational strategy and visual memory in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Shin, M S; Park, S J; Kim, M S; Lee, Y H; Ha, T H; Kwon, J S

    2004-10-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the deficits of organizational strategy and visual memory in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty OCD patients and 30 healthy controls aged 20-35 years participated. The Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test were administered to participants. The authors scored ROCF performances using the Boston Qualitative Scoring System. The OCD patients showed poorer planning ability and higher fragmentation than did healthy controls when copying the ROCF, and they showed even poorer performances in the immediate and delayed recall conditions. The authors found that the Organization score in the copy condition mediated the difference between the OCD group and the healthy group in immediate recall. The direct effect of diagnosis (OCD or healthy) on the immediate recall condition of the ROCF was also significant. This study indicates that people with OCD have poor memory function and organizational deficits.

  3. Compulsive buying in university students: its prevalence and relationships with materialism, psychological distress symptoms, and subjective well-being.

    PubMed

    Villardefrancos, Estíbaliz; Otero-López, José Manuel

    2016-02-01

    higher scores in materialism's dimensions of importance, success, and happiness, and in the psychological distress symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsession-compulsion, hostility, and somatization. On the contrary, they presented significantly lower levels in self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism. Results of the logistic regression analysis confirmed that high scores in the importance dimension of materialism, in combination with the experiencing of symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsession-compulsion, hostility, and somatization, would constitute risk factors in relation with this phenomenon, and high levels of life satisfaction would act as a protection factor as for compulsive buying in the sample of students considered. Current findings revealed that 7.4% of the large sample of Spanish university students considered were classified as compulsive buyers. Additionally, it was confirmed that while materialism and psychological distress symptoms would represent vulnerability determinants increasing the propensity for compulsive buying, the high scores in life satisfaction would act to decrease the likelihood of becoming a compulsive buyer. Accordingly, our results suggested that prevention and intervention efforts in relation with compulsive buying among young people should include specific components aimed at the reduction of the importance assigned to money and possessions, and also at the relief of psychological distress symptoms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits, obsessive-compulsive disorder and excessive exercise in patients with anorexia nervosa: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Young, Sarah; Rhodes, Paul; Touyz, Stephen; Hay, Phillipa

    2013-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) traits and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are commonly associated with patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The aim of this review was to systematically search the literature to examine whether OCPD and OCD are positively associated with excessive exercise in patients with AN. A systematic electronic search of the literature (using PsycInfo, Medline and Web of Knowledge) was undertaken to identify relevant publications until May 2012. A total of ten studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. The design of the studies varied from cross-sectional to retrospective and quasi-experimental. Seven out of the ten studies reviewed demonstrated a positive relationship between OCPD and/or OCD in AN patients who exercise excessively, whilst three studies found a lack of relationship, or a negative relationship, between these constructs. There is evidence from the literature to suggest that there is a positive relationship between OCPD and excessive exercise in patients with AN. However, the relationship between OCD and excessive exercise is less clear and further research is required to qualify the strength of such relationships. Future research should utilise the most comprehensive and reliable clinical assessment tools, and address prognostic factors, treatment factors and specific interventions for patients with OCPD and/or OCD and excessive exercise.

  5. Obsessive-compulsive dimension localized using low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA).

    PubMed

    Sherlin, Leslie; Congedo, Marco

    2005-10-21

    Electroencephalographic mapping techniques have been used to show differences between normal subjects and those diagnosed with various mental disorders. To date, there is no other research using the techniques of low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) with the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) population. The current investigation compares current source density measures of persons with OCD symptoms to an age-matched control group. The main finding is excess current source density in the Beta frequencies in the cingulate gyrus. This Beta activity is primarily located in the middle cingulate gyrus as well as adjacent frontal parieto-occipital regions. Lower frequency Beta is prominent more anteriorly in the cingulate gyrus whereas higher frequency Beta is seen more posteriorly. These preliminary findings indicate the utility of LORETA as a clinical and diagnostic tool.

  6. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and its relationship with disgust vulnerability and conscientiousness.

    PubMed

    Inchausti, Felix; Delgado, Ana R; Prieto, Gerardo

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms, disgust vulnerability, and the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality. The sample consisted of 100 adult patients with OCD as a primary diagnosis and 246 with other anxiety disorders (OADs), who responded to OCD, disgust vulnerability, anxiety, depression and personality questionnaires. To perform parametric statistical calculations, all questionnaire scores were transformed from raw ordinal-scale scores to Rasch measures, with interval properties. OCD patients scored significantly higher than OAD patients on DPSS-R Disgust Sensitivity and DPSS-R Disgust Propensity, with a large effect size observed on Disgust Propensity. Furthermore, strong correlations were observed between DPSS-R Propensity to Disgust model scores and DOCS Contamination model scores. Finally, NEO FFI Conscientiousness trait was significantly higher in OCD patients.

  7. The relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety, worry, obsessive-compulsive, and depressive symptoms: specific and non-specific mediators in a student sample.

    PubMed

    Liew, Shi Min; Thevaraja, Nishta; Hong, Ryan Y; Magiati, Iliana

    2015-03-01

    The high prevalence of anxiety symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorders has now been well documented. There is also a positive relationship between autistic traits and anxiety symptoms in unselected samples and individuals with anxiety disorders have more autistic traits compared to those without. Less is known, however, regarding which elements of autistic traits (i.e., social versus non-social/behavioral) or which other variables may mediate this relationship. This study investigated the shared and specific role of five autistic-trait related mediators (social problem-solving, social competence, teasing experiences, prevention from/punishment for preferred repetitive behaviors and aversive sensory experiences) in a non-clinical sample of 252 university students. Autistic traits positively correlated with both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Social competence mediated the relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety symptoms only, while only prevention from preferred repetitive behaviors and frequent aversive sensory experiences mediated the relationship between autistic traits, worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Replication of these findings is required in longitudinal studies and with clinical samples. Limitations of the study are discussed and possible implications for intervention are tentatively suggested.

  8. Cortical asymmetries in unaffected siblings of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Peng, Ziwen; Li, Gang; Shi, Feng; Shi, Changzheng; Yang, Qiong; Chan, Raymond C K; Shen, Dinggang

    2015-12-30

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered to be associated with atypical brain asymmetry. However, no study has examined the asymmetry in OCD from the perspective of cortical morphometry. This study is aimed to describe the characteristics of cortical asymmetry in OCD patients, and to investigate whether these features exist in their unaffected siblings - a vital step in identifying putative endophenotypes for OCD. A total of 48 subjects (16 OCD patients, 16 unaffected siblings, and 16 matched controls) were recruited who had complete magnetic resonance imaging scans. Left-right hemispheric asymmetries of cortical thickness were measured using a surface-based threshold-free cluster enhancement method. OCD patients and siblings both showed leftward asymmetries of cortical thickness in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which showed a significant positive correlation with compulsive subscale scores. In addition, siblings and healthy controls showed significantly decreased leftward asymmetries in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the decreased leftward bias in the OFC was accompanied by lower scales on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. To sum up, leftward asymmetries of cortical thickness in the ACC may represent an endophenotype of increased hereditary risk for OCD, while decreased leftward asymmetries of cortical thickness in the OFC may represent a protective factor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Intact short-term memory and impaired executive functions in obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Demeter, Gyula; Racsmány, Mihály; Csigó, Katalin; Harsányi, András; Németh, Attila; Döme, László

    2013-01-30

    Previous neuropsychological studies produced inconsistent results with tasks tapping short-term verbal and visual-spatial memory and executive functions in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of deficits in these cognitive domains. A further goal was to describe the distribution of patients in different impairment ranges for all functions, and clarify the relationship between symptom severity and cognitive impairments. Thirty patients with OCD (DSM-IV) and 30 healthy volunteers were compared using well-known neuropsychological tasks. We assessed short-term verbal memory with the Digit Span Forward and Digit Span Backward Tasks, short-term visual-spatial memory with the Corsi Block Tapping Task, while we measured the level of executive functions with the StroopTask and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Compared with a matched healthy control group, the performance of OCD patients was in the impaired range only in the two executive tasks. We find a significant positive correlations between the Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) total scores and the number of perseverative responses (r(28) = 0.409, p < 0.05) and perseverative errors (r(28) = 0.385, p < 0.05) in the WCST. Our results gave evidence that executive functions are impaired while short-term memory is intact in OCD. This is in line with neuropsychological model of OCD that the deficit of cognitive and behavioral inhibition are responsible for the main cognitive findings of this disorder, most prevalently the deficit in set shifting and prepotent response inhibition.

  10. Inductive reasoning and doubt in obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Kieron; Wilson, Samantha; Taillon, Annie; Pélissier, Marie-Claude; Audet, Jean-Sebastien

    2018-06-01

    Previous studies show that individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) accord more importance than healthy controls (HC) to alternative conclusions, resulting in increased doubt regarding an initial conclusion. The goal of the present study was to replicate and extend this finding. Eighteen participants diagnosed with OCD and 16 HC completed the Reasoning with Inductive Arguments Task (RIAT), which operationalizes doubt as change in confidence towards a conclusion after alternative conclusions are presented. To examine conditions that facilitate doubt, the impact of alternative conclusions that both supported and contradicted the initial conclusion was compared, as well as the effect of neutral and OCD-relevant item content. Both the OCD and HC groups decreased confidence after contradicting conclusions, but only the HC group increased confidence when presented with supporting conclusions. Furthermore, decrease in confidence in the OCD group correlated with OCD symptom severity. The RIAT could be adapted to better take into account of OCD subtypes. Doubt generation may contribute to obsessional doubting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Randomized controlled trial of yogic meditation techniques for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Shannahoff-Khalsa, D S; Ray, L E; Levine, S; Gallen, C C; Schwartz, B J; Sidorowich, J J

    1999-12-01

    The objective of this study was to compare efficacy of two meditation protocols for treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Patients were randomized to two groups-matched for sex, age, and medication status-and blinded to the comparison protocol. They were told the trial would last for 12 months, unless one protocol proved to be more efficacious. If so, groups would merge, and the group that received the less efficacious treatment would also be afforded 12 months of the more effective one. The study was conducted at Children's Hospital, San Diego, Calif. Patients were selected according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R) criteria and recruited by advertisements and referral. At baseline, Group 1 included 11 adults and 1 adolescent, and Group 2 included 10 adults. Group 1 employed a kundalini yoga meditation protocol and Group 2 employed the Relaxation Response plus Mindfulness Meditation technique. Baseline and 3-month interval testing was conducted using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised Obsessive Compulsive (SCL-90-R OC) and Global Severity Index (SCL-90-R GSI) scales, Profile of Moods scale (POMS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Purpose in Life (PIL) test. Seven adults in each group completed 3 months of therapy. At 3 months, Group 1 demonstrated greater improvements (Student's independent groups t-test) on the Y-BOCS, SCL-90-R OC and GSI scales, and POMS, and greater but nonsignificant improvements on the PSS and PIL test. An intent-to-treat analysis (Y-BOCS) for the baseline and 3-month tests showed that only Group 1 improved. Within-group statistics (Student's paired t-tests) showed that Group 1 significantly improved on all six scales, but Group 2 had no improvements. Groups were merged for an additional year using Group 1 techniques. At 15 months, the final group (N=11) improved 71%, 62%, 66%, 74%, 39%, and 23%, respectively, on

  12. Parsing the phenotype of obsessive-compulsive tic disorder (OCTD): a multidisciplinary consensus.

    PubMed

    Dell'Osso, Bernardo; Marazziti, Donatella; Albert, Umberto; Pallanti, Stefano; Gambini, Orsola; Tundo, Antonio; Zanaboni, Carlotta; Servello, Domenico; Rizzo, Renata; Scalone, Luciana; Benatti, Beatrice; Altamura, A Carlo; Porta, Mauro

    2017-06-01

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Tic Disorder (TD) are highly disabling and often comorbid conditions. Of note, the DSM-5 acknowledged a new 'tic-related' specifier for OCD, which might be referred to as Obsessive-Compulsive Tic Disorder (OCTD), raising new interest toward a better clinical characterisation of affected patients. Available literature indicates that early onset, male gender, sensory phenomena and obsessions of symmetry, aggressiveness, hoarding, exactness and sounds as well as comorbidity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be of more frequent observation in patients with OCTD. In order to share expertise in the field from different perspectives, a multidisciplinary panel of Italian clinicians, specifically involved in the clinical care of OCD and TD patients, participated into a consensus initiative, aimed to produce a shared document. As a result, after having examined the most relevant literature, authors sought to critically identify and discuss main epidemiologic, socio-demographic and clinical features characterising OCTD patients, along with other specific aspects including Health-Related Quality-of-Life (HRQoL), economic consequences related with the condition and its management, as well as treatment-related issues, that need to be further investigated.

  13. Orbito-frontal cortex and thalamus volumes in the patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder before and after cognitive behavioral therapy.

    PubMed

    Atmaca, Murad; Yildirim, Hanefi; Yilmaz, Seda; Caglar, Neslihan; Mermi, Osman; Korkmaz, Sevda; Akaslan, Unsal; Gurok, M Gurkan; Kekilli, Yasemin; Turkcapar, Hakan

    2018-07-01

    Background The effect of a variety of treatment modalities including psychopharmacological and cognitive behavioral therapy on the brain volumes and neurochemicals have not been investigated enough in the patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the volumes of the orbito-frontal cortex and thalamus regions which seem to be abnormal in the patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. We hypothesized that there would be change in the volumes of the orbito-frontal cortex and thalamus. Methods Twelve patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and same number of healthy controls were included into the study. At the beginning of the study, the volumes of the orbito-frontal cortex and thalamus were compared by using magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, volumes of these regions were measured before and after the cognitive behavioral therapy treatment in the patient group. Results The patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder had greater left and right thalamus volumes and smaller left and right orbito-frontal cortex volumes compared to those of healthy control subjects at the beginning of the study. When we compared baseline volumes of the patients with posttreatment ones, we detected that thalamus volumes significantly decreased throughout the period for both sides and that the orbito-frontal cortex volumes significantly increased throughout the period for only left side. Conclusions In summary, we found that cognitive behavioral therapy might volumetrically affect the key brain regions involved in the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, future studies with larger sample are required.

  14. Maintenance therapy with electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with a codiagnosis of bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Bülbül, Feridun; Copoglu, Umit Sertan; Alpak, Gokay; Unal, Ahmet; Tastan, Mehmet Fatih; Savas, Haluk Asuman

    2013-06-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is defined as the most commonly seen anxiety disorder accompanying the bipolar disorder, and this concomitance causes the difficulties in the therapy. Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is efficient in both manic and depressive episodes of the bipolar disorder, it is considered as a therapeutic option in cases of OCD with depression comorbidity. In this article, we aimed to present a case in which depressive episode of bipolar disorder and OCD comorbidity were present; both depressive and OCD symptoms were resolved using ECT. Symptoms of both diseases recurred after the discontinuation of ECT, and well-being sustained with maintenance ECT.

  15. Gender in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic findings.

    PubMed

    Lochner, Christine; Hemmings, Sian M J; Kinnear, Craig J; Moolman-Smook, Johanna C; Corfield, Valerie A; Knowles, James A; Niehaus, Dana J H; Stein, Dan J

    2004-03-01

    There is increasing recognition that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a homogeneous entity. It has been suggested that gender may contribute to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. Two hundred and twenty patients (n=220; 107 male, 113 female) with DSM-IV OCD (age: 36.40+/-13.46) underwent structured interviews. A subset of Caucasian subjects (n=178), including subjects from the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population (n=81), and of matched control subjects (n=161), was genotyped for polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function. Clinical and genetic data were statistically analyzed across gender. Compared with females, males with OCD (1) had an earlier age of onset, and a trend toward having more tics and worse outcome, (2) had somewhat differing patterns of OCD symptomatology and axis I comorbidity, and (3) in the Caucasian group, were more likely to have the high activity T allele of the EcoRV variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) gene compared to controls, and (4) in the Afrikaner subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the C allele at the G861C variant of the 5HT(1D beta) gene than controls. Females with OCD (1) reported more sexual abuse during childhood than males, (2) often noted changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the premenstrual/menstrual period as well as during/shortly after pregnancy, and with menopause, and (3) in the Caucasian subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the low activity C allele of the EcoRV variant of the MAO-A gene compared to controls, with this allele also more frequent in female patients than controls. This study supports the hypothesis that gender contributes to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. A sexually dimorphic pattern of genetic susceptibility to OCD may be present. Further work is, however, needed to delineate the mechanisms that are responsible for mediating the effects of gender.

  16. A study of cognitive function in treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder treated with capsulotomy.

    PubMed

    Gong, Feilong; Li, Peng; Li, Bin; Zhang, Shizhen; Zhang, Xinjie; Yang, Sen; Liu, Hongbin; Wang, Wei

    2018-02-01

    OBJECTIVE Anterior capsulotomy (AC) is sometimes used as a last resort for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous studies assessing neuropsychological outcomes in patients with OCD have identified several forms of cognitive dysfunction that are associated with the disease, but few have focused on changes in cognitive function in OCD patients who have undergone surgery. In the present study, the authors investigated the effects of AC on the cognitive function of patients with treatment-refractory OCD. METHODS The authors selected 14 patients with treatment-refractory OCD who had undergone bilateral AC between 2007 and 2013, 14 nonsurgically treated OCD patients, and 14 healthy control subjects for this study. The 3 groups were matched for sex, age, and education. Several neuropsychological tests, including Similarities and Block Design, which are subsets of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence; Immediate and Delayed Logical Memory and Immediate and Delayed Visual Reproduction, which are subsets of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised; and Corrects, Categories, Perseverative Errors, Nonperseverative Errors, and Errors, subtests of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, were conducted in all 42 subjects at baseline and after AC, after nonsurgical treatment, or at 6-month intervals, as appropriate. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to measure OCD symptoms in all 28 OCD patients. RESULTS The Y-BOCS scores decreased significantly in both OCD groups during the 12-month follow-up period. Surgical patients showed higher levels of improvement in verbal memory, visual memory, visuospatial skills, and executive function than the nonsurgically treated OCD patients. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that AC not only reduces OCD symptoms but also attenuates moderate cognitive deficits.

  17. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of N-Acetylcysteine Augmentation for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Costa, Daniel L C; Diniz, Juliana B; Requena, Guaraci; Joaquim, Marinês A; Pittenger, Christopher; Bloch, Michael H; Miguel, Euripedes C; Shavitt, Roseli G

    2017-07-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) augmentation with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a glutamate modulator and antioxidant medication, for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 16-week trial of NAC (3,000 mg daily) in adults (aged 18-65 years) with treatment-resistant OCD, established according to DSM-IV criteria. Forty subjects were recruited at an OCD-specialized outpatient clinic at a tertiary hospital (May 2012-October 2014). The primary outcome measure was the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores. To evaluate the variables group, time, and interaction effects for Y-BOCS scores at all time points, we used nonparametric analysis of variance with repeated measures. Secondary outcomes were the severity scores for anxiety, depression, specific OCD symptom dimensions, and insight. Both groups showed a significant reduction of baseline Y-BOCS scores at week 16: the NAC group had a reduction of 4.3 points (25.6 to 21.3), compared with 3.0 points (24.8 to 21.8) for the placebo group. However, there were no significant differences between groups (P = .92). Adding NAC was superior to placebo in reducing anxiety symptoms (P = .02), but not depression severity or specific OCD symptom dimensions. In general, NAC was well tolerated, despite abdominal pain being more frequently reported in the NAC group (n [%]: NAC = 9 [60.0], placebo = 2 [13.3]; P < .01). Our trial did not demonstrate a significant benefit of NAC in reducing OCD severity in treatment-resistant OCD adults. Secondary analysis suggested that NAC might have some benefit in reducing anxiety symptoms in treatment-resistant OCD patients. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01555970. © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  18. Personality Disorders in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Comparative Study versus Other Anxiety Disorders

    PubMed Central

    Pena-Garijo, Josep; Edo Villamón, Silvia; Ruipérez, M. Ángeles

    2013-01-01

    Objective. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence for the relationship between personality disorders (PDs), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and other anxiety disorders different from OCD (non-OCD) symptomatology. Method. The sample consisted of a group of 122 individuals divided into three groups (41 OCD; 40 non-OCD, and 41 controls) matched by sex, age, and educational level. All the individuals answered the IPDE questionnaire and were evaluated by means of the SCID-I and SCID-II interviews. Results. Patients with OCD and non-OCD present a higher presence of PD. There was an increase in cluster C diagnoses in both groups, with no statistically significant differences between them. Conclusions. Presenting anxiety disorder seems to cause a specific vulnerability for PD. Most of the PDs that were presented belonged to cluster C. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is the most common among OCD. However, it does not occur more frequently among OCD patients than among other anxious patients, which does not confirm the continuum between obsessive personality and OCD. Implications for categorical and dimensional diagnoses are discussed. PMID:24453917

  19. Evolution of gamma knife capsulotomy for intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Miguel, Euripedes C; Lopes, Antonio C; McLaughlin, Nicole C R; Norén, Georg; Gentil, André F; Hamani, Clement; Shavitt, Roseli G; Batistuzzo, Marcelo C; Vattimo, Edoardo F Q; Canteras, Miguel; De Salles, Antonio; Gorgulho, Alessandra; Salvajoli, João Victor; Fonoff, Erich Talamoni; Paddick, Ian; Hoexter, Marcelo Q; Lindquist, Christer; Haber, Suzanne N; Greenberg, Benjamin D; Sheth, Sameer A

    2018-05-09

    For more than half a century, stereotactic neurosurgical procedures have been available to treat patients with severe, debilitating symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that have proven refractory to extensive, appropriate pharmacological, and psychological treatment. Although reliable predictors of outcome remain elusive, the establishment of narrower selection criteria for neurosurgical candidacy, together with a better understanding of the functional neuroanatomy implicated in OCD, has resulted in improved clinical efficacy for an array of ablative and non-ablative intervention techniques targeting the cingulum, internal capsule, and other limbic regions. It was against this backdrop that gamma knife capsulotomy (GKC) for OCD was developed. In this paper, we review the history of this stereotactic radiosurgical procedure, from its inception to recent advances. We perform a systematic review of the existing literature and also provide a narrative account of the evolution of the procedure, detailing how the procedure has changed over time, and has been shaped by forces of evidence and innovation. As the procedure has evolved and adverse events have decreased considerably, favorable response rates have remained attainable for approximately one-half to two-thirds of individuals treated at experienced centers. A reduction in obsessive-compulsive symptom severity may result not only from direct modulation of OCD neural pathways but also from enhanced efficacy of pharmacological and psychological therapies working in a synergistic fashion with GKC. Possible complications include frontal lobe edema and even the rare formation of delayed radionecrotic cysts. These adverse events have become much less common with new radiation dose and targeting strategies. Detailed neuropsychological assessments from recent studies suggest that cognitive function is not impaired, and in some domains may even improve following treatment. We conclude this review with

  20. Dysfunctional beliefs in group and individual cognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Jónsson, Hjalti; Hougaard, Esben; Bennedsen, Birgit E

    2011-05-01

    The primary aim of the study was to investigate dysfunctional beliefs in the form of inflated responsibility (IR) and thought action fusion (TAF) as predictive and mediating variables in individual (n=33) and group (n=37) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). IR and TAF declined significantly during CBT, and the decline was positively associated with change in OCD symptoms. However, when controlling for change in depressive symptoms, only change in IR remained significantly associated with OCD symptom change. The moral subtype of TAF predicted poorer treatment outcome, but only in group CBT. Both treatments produced a similar amount of change in the dysfunctional beliefs. The results provide some, preliminary evidence that IR, but not TAF, may be specifically involved in the change mechanisms of both individual and group CBT for OCD, although the design of the study with pre- and post-therapy measurements only does not allow for a causal mediator analysis. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. [The way to proceed in psychotherapy--focusing on the framework of phobias and obsessive-compulsive stories].

    PubMed

    Nishimura, Ryoji

    2012-01-01

    Compulsion becomes long-term when treatment is commenced with very severe resistance. Patients showing emotional changes are rare compared to those with conversion and phobic disorders. However, most people improve when careful treatment is carried out. Although there are those in whom drug treatment is effective, drug treatment and psychotherapy are concomitantly used in most cases. In this lecture, the characteristics of compulsion were psychodynamically investigated regarding: 1. Central conflict, 2. Defense mechanisms, 3. Condition of love life (including sex life), 4. Growth history, by comparing with phobias. When the life of the inner-self protrudes, obsessive-compulsive patients try to contradict and deny this. The symptoms sometimes directly represent the mental conflict of the person, and sometimes the symptom formation process may be understood to some extent. It is said that such cases are suitable for psychotherapy. Psychodynamic psychotherapy involves regaining the continuity of emotional life divided due to defenses such as negation, reaction formation, and isolation. Meanwhile, the real nature of phobias is avoidance and escape. Therefore, the trick in proceeding with interviews is to lead the phobia patient to areas which they avoid during interviews and areas which they avoid in daily life, and to have the patient enter these fields at times by encouraging them.

  2. Development and Examination of the Five-Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Short Form.

    PubMed

    Griffin, Sarah A; Suzuki, Takakuni; Lynam, Donald R; Crego, Cristina; Widiger, Thomas A; Miller, Joshua D; Samuel, Douglas B

    2018-01-01

    The Five-Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FFOCI) is an assessment of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) that is based on the conceptual framework of the five-factor model (FFM) of personality. The FFOCI has 12 subscales that assess those five-factor model facets relevant to the description of OCPD. Research has suggested that the FFOCI scores relate robustly to existing measures of OCPD and relevant scales from general personality inventories. Nonetheless, the FFOCI's length-120 items-may limit its clinical utility. This study derived a 48-item FFOCI-Short Form (FFOCI-SF) from the original measure using item response theory methods. The FFOCI-SF scales successfully recreated the nomological network of the original measure and improved discriminant validity relative to the long form. These results support the use of the FFOCI-SF as a briefer measure of the lower-order traits associated with OCPD.

  3. The Role of Treatment Expectancy in Youth Receiving Exposure-based CBT for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Lewin, Adam B.; Peris, Tara S.; Bergman, R. Lindsey; McCracken, James T.; Piacentini, John

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to examine correlates of parent, child, and therapist treatment expectations and their role in the exposure-based treatment of childhood obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Treatment expectations were assessed among 49 youth with primary OCD, their parents, and therapists as part of the baseline evaluation and post-treatment clinical outcomes were determined by blind evaluators. Baseline depressive symptoms, child/parent-rated functional impairment, externalizing behavior problems, number of comorbid psychiatric disorders, and a lower perception of control were associated with lower pre-treatment expectations. Parent expectation was associated with parental OCD symptoms, child depressive symptoms and child-reported impairment. Therapist expectations inversely correlated with child depressive symptoms, externalizing problems, and child-rated impairment. Pre-treatment OCD severity and prior treatment history were not linked to expectancy. Finally, higher treatment expectations were linked to better treatment response, lower attrition, better homework compliance, and reduced impairment. PMID:21723534

  4. Rage Attacks in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Phenomenology and Clinical Correlates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Storch, Eric A.; Jones, Anna M.; Lack, Caleb W.; Ale, Chelsea M.; Sulkowski, Michael L.; Lewin, Adam B.; De Nadai, Alessandro S.; Murphy, Tanya K.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Rage attacks have been documented in youth with varied psychiatric disorders, but few data have been reported on the clinical characteristics and correlates of rage attacks among children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method: Participants were 86 children (ages 6-16 years) with a primary diagnosis of OCD. Patients and their…

  5. Error-Related Negativity and Tic History in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanna, Gregory L.; Carrasco, Melisa; Harbin, Shannon M.; Nienhuis, Jenna K.; LaRosa, Christina E.; Chen, Poyu; Fitzgerald, Kate D.; Gehring, William J.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: The error-related negativity (ERN) is a negative deflection in the event-related potential after an incorrect response, which is often increased in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the relation of the ERN to comorbid tic disorders has not been examined in patients with OCD. This study compared ERN amplitudes…

  6. Self-Regulation of Anterior Insula with Real-Time fMRI and Its Behavioral Effects in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Feasibility Study.

    PubMed

    Buyukturkoglu, Korhan; Roettgers, Hans; Sommer, Jens; Rana, Mohit; Dietzsch, Leonie; Arikan, Ezgi Belkis; Veit, Ralf; Malekshahi, Rahim; Kircher, Tilo; Birbaumer, Niels; Sitaram, Ranganatha; Ruiz, Sergio

    2015-01-01

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and chronic condition that can have disabling effects throughout the patient's lifespan. Frequent symptoms among OCD patients include fear of contamination and washing compulsions. Several studies have shown a link between contamination fears, disgust over-reactivity, and insula activation in OCD. In concordance with the role of insula in disgust processing, new neural models based on neuroimaging studies suggest that abnormally high activations of insula could be implicated in OCD psychopathology, at least in the subgroup of patients with contamination fears and washing compulsions. In the current study, we used a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) to aid OCD patients to achieve down-regulation of the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signal in anterior insula. Our first aim was to investigate whether patients with contamination obsessions and washing compulsions can learn to volitionally decrease (down-regulate) activity in the insula in the presence of disgust/anxiety provoking stimuli. Our second aim was to evaluate the effect of down-regulation on clinical, behavioural and physiological changes pertaining to OCD symptoms. Hence, several pre- and post-training measures were performed, i.e., confronting the patient with a disgust/anxiety inducing real-world object (Ecological Disgust Test), and subjective rating and physiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance level) of disgust towards provoking pictures. Results of this pilot study, performed in 3 patients (2 females), show that OCD patients can gain self-control of the BOLD activity of insula, albeit to different degrees. In two patients positive changes in behaviour in the EDT were observed following the rtfMRI trainings. Behavioural changes were also confirmed by reductions in the negative valence and in the subjective perception of disgust towards symptom provoking images. Although

  7. Pragmatic Competency and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Comparative Assessment with Normal Controls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghahari, Shima; Hassani, Hamidreza; Purmofrad, Maryam

    2017-01-01

    Unlike such cognitive impairments as autism and schizophrenia, the speech pattern in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has largely remained underrepresented. We examined the pragmatic competence of OCD-affected individuals under two variant modes: pragmatic recognition and pragmatic production. In the recognition phase, the informants completed…

  8. Different patterns of local field potentials from limbic DBS targets in patients with major depressive and obsessive compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    Neumann, W-J; Huebl, J; Brücke, C; Gabriëls, L; Bajbouj, M; Merkl, A; Schneider, G-H; Nuttin, B; Brown, P; Kühn, AA

    2016-01-01

    The role of distinct limbic areas in emotion regulation has been largely inferred from neuroimaging studies. Recently, the opportunity for intracranial recordings from limbic areas has arisen in patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for neuropsychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Here we test the hypothesis that distinct temporal patterns of local field potential (LFP) activity in the human limbic system reflect disease state and symptom severity in MDD and OCD patients. To this end, we recorded LFPs via implanted DBS electrodes from the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST area) in 12 patients (5 OCD, 7 MDD) and from the subgenual cingulate cortex in 7 MDD patients (CG25 area). We found a distinct pattern of oscillatory activity with significantly higher α-power in MDD compared with OCD in the BNST area (broad α-band 8–14 Hz; P<0.01) and a similar level of α-activity in the CG25 area as in the BNST area in MDD patients. The mean α-power correlated with severity of depressive symptoms as assessed by the Beck depression inventory in MDD (n = 14, r = 0.55, P = 0.042) but not with severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms in OCD. Here we show larger α-band activity in MDD patients compared with OCD recorded from intracranial DBS targets. Our results suggest that α-activity in the limbic system may be a signature of symptom severity in MDD and may serve as a potential state biomarker for closed loop DBS in MDD. PMID:24514569

  9. Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders: a comorbidity and family history perspective.

    PubMed

    Brakoulias, Vlasios; Starcevic, Vladan; Sammut, Peter; Berle, David; Milicevic, Denise; Moses, Karen; Hannan, Anthony

    2011-04-01

    The concept of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) has become so influential that there are proposals to introduce it into new diagnostic classificatory systems. The aim of this paper was to assess whether rates of comorbidity and family history of OCSDs in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) supported this concept. Comorbidity and family history were assessed in a group of participants with a primary diagnosis of OCD, using structured clinical interviews. Rates of OCSDs and other anxiety disorders (OADs), excluding OCD, were compared. Of the 77 OCD participants assessed, the most prevalent comorbid conditions were OADs: generalized anxiety disorder (34.6%), specific phobia (26.9%), social phobia (21.8%) and panic disorder (19.2%). The proposed OCSDs were less frequently comorbid: tic disorder (12.8%), trichotillomania (5.1%), hypochondriasis (3.8%) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) (3.8%). Similar trends were observed for a family history of these disorders. No participant reported a family history of an OCSD without a family history of an OAD. Although the concept of OCSDs has invigorated thinking in this complex diagnostic field, these results support the current association of OCD with OADs rather than with OCSDs.

  10. Doubt in the Insula: Risk Processing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Luigjes, Judy; Figee, Martijn; Tobler, Philippe N.; van den Brink, Wim; de Kwaasteniet, Bart; van Wingen, Guido; Denys, Damiaan

    2016-01-01

    Extensive cleaning or checking of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often interpreted as strategies to avoid harm and as an expression of the widespread belief that OCD patients are more risk-averse. However, despite its clinical significance, the neural basis of risk attitude in OCD is unknown. Here, we investigated neural activity during risk processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging and simultaneously assessed risk attitude using a separate behavioral paradigm in OCD patients with different symptoms versus healthy controls (HCs). We found opposite insula responses to high versus low risk in OCD patients compared to HCs: a positive correlation between insula activity and risk-aversion in patients versus a negative correlation in controls. Although OCD patients overall were not more risk-averse than controls, there were differences between subgroups of OCD patients: patients with doubt/checking symptoms were more risk-averse than other patients. Taken together, OCD patients show a reversed pattern of risk processing by the insula compared to HCs. Moreover, the data suggest that increased activation of the insula signals an abnormal urge to avoid risks in the subpopulation of OCD patients with doubt and checking symptoms. These results indicate a role for the insula in excessive risk-avoidance relevant to OCD. PMID:27378883

  11. Cognitive and psychophysiological correlates of disgust in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Whitton, Alexis E; Henry, Julie D; Grisham, Jessica R

    2015-03-01

    Evidence suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by heightened self-reported disgust, however, it is unclear if this extends to physiology. The relationship between obsessive beliefs and disgust also remains poorly understood. Therefore, we examined whether the heightened trait and self-reported disgust observed in individuals with OCD is reflected in heightened physiological disgust responses. We also examined whether obsessive beliefs are associated with disgust responding. A 3 (group) × 6 (stimulus) repeated measures design was used to examine disgust responses in individuals with OCD to six categories of image stimuli: body waste, contamination, injury, sociomoral, neutral, negative non-disgust. Individuals with OCD (n = 25) were compared to individuals with non-OCD anxiety disorders (n = 21) and healthy participants (n = 25) with respect to trait, self-reported, facial electromyographic and electrodermal disgust responses. Individuals with OCD showed greater disgust propensity and self-reported disgust to images of body waste compared to healthy and anxious participants, however, there were no group differences in physiological responses. After controlling for trait disgust, obsessive beliefs positively correlated with increased self-reported disgust to neutral images and increased levator labii activity to negative non-disgusting images. Although individuals with OCD showed elevated disgust propensity and self-reported ratings of body waste stimuli, there was little evidence that OCD is characterized by an abnormal physiological disgust response. The intensity of obsessive beliefs was associated with a tendency to respond with disgust in contexts that are non-disgusting, indicating that obsessive beliefs may be implicated in pathological disgust. Individuals with OCD display greater levels of disgust propensity and self-reported disgust to images of body waste compared to healthy control participants and individuals with non

  12. The relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits, obsessive-compulsive disorder and excessive exercise in patients with anorexia nervosa: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Objective Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) traits and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are commonly associated with patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The aim of this review was to systematically search the literature to examine whether OCPD and OCD are positively associated with excessive exercise in patients with AN. Method A systematic electronic search of the literature (using PsycInfo, Medline and Web of Knowledge) was undertaken to identify relevant publications until May 2012. Results A total of ten studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. The design of the studies varied from cross-sectional to retrospective and quasi-experimental. Seven out of the ten studies reviewed demonstrated a positive relationship between OCPD and/or OCD in AN patients who exercise excessively, whilst three studies found a lack of relationship, or a negative relationship, between these constructs. Conclusion There is evidence from the literature to suggest that there is a positive relationship between OCPD and excessive exercise in patients with AN. However, the relationship between OCD and excessive exercise is less clear and further research is required to qualify the strength of such relationships. Future research should utilise the most comprehensive and reliable clinical assessment tools, and address prognostic factors, treatment factors and specific interventions for patients with OCPD and/or OCD and excessive exercise. PMID:24999397

  13. Recent Developments in the Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berman, Noah C.; Abramowitz, Jonathan S.

    2010-01-01

    Although tremendous strides have recently been made in the development of assessment and treatment methods for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), more accurate methods for diagnosis, more effective treatments, and more refined instruments for monitoring progress during therapy are still needed. The present commentary highlights the…

  14. Brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy in obsessive-compulsive disorder: the importance of considering subclinical symptoms of anxiety and depression.

    PubMed

    Bédard, Marie-Josée; Chantal, Sophie

    2011-04-30

    Brain metabolite concentrations have recently been assessed in different cerebral regions presumably targeted in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). However, results have been divergent. Possible confounding variables, such as the cerebral localisation of investigated regions and metabolites considered, as well as subclinical symptoms of anxiety and depression, could have affected these MRS profiles. The main goal of this study was to assess MRS metabolite differences between 13 individuals with OCD and 12 matched healthy controls in seven brain regions potentially involved in OCD. The secondary objective was to assess the relationships between levels of anxiety and depression and brain metabolite concentrations. No difference was found for N-acetylaspartate, glutamate-glutamine, myo-inositol (mI) and choline relative to creatine (Cr) concentration in either the left or right orbitofrontal area, left or right median temporal lobe, left or right thalamus or the anterior cingulate cortex. A significant negative correlation between the mI/Cr in the left orbitofrontal area and the severity of OCD symptomatology was observed while subclinical anxiety and depression were closely related to brain metabolite ratios. Thus, these subclinical symptoms, commonly associated with OCD, should be considered in assessing brain metabolite concentrations and may be central to the comprehension of this disorder. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The role of experiential avoidance in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits.

    PubMed

    Wheaton, Michael G; Pinto, Anthony

    2017-10-01

    Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is one of the most prevalent personality disorders, yet it remains an understudied phenomenon. Experiential avoidance (EA) has been investigated as a factor relevant in many forms of psychopathology, including borderline personality disorder. To date however, no study has yet investigated whether EA might also be relevant to OCPD. We administered a measure of EA and a multidimensional OCPD measure (assessing 5 OCPD trait dimensions and overall severity) to a large community sample (N = 571) as well as a group of individuals with self-identified OCPD features (N = 53). Results revealed that the OCPD group experienced heightened EA relative to the unscreened community sample, even controlling for group differences in distress symptoms. Correlational analyses showed significant relationships between EA and all 5 OCPD trait dimensions and overall severity. Moreover, EA accounted for OCPD traits and severity after controlling for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Implications for the role of EA in OCPD, including treatment implications, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. A Multi-Site Study of Family Functioning Impairment in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Stewart, S. Evelyn; Hu, Yu-Pei; Leung, Aldrich; Chan, Elaine; Hezel, Dianne M.; Lin, Sarah Yao; Belschner, Laura; Walsh, Casey; Geller, Daniel A.; Pauls, David L.

    2017-01-01

    Objective Familial aspects of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) including accommodation and treatment have received notable and warranted attention. However, individual perspectives of its repercussions on family functioning, including emotional parental burden, have not been closely examined. The present study details this topic utilizing a large, multi-center sample. Method Participants included 354 youth affected with OCD, mothers and fathers ascertained through pediatric OCD programs in Boston, USA (n=180) and Vancouver, Canada (n=174). The validated OCD Family Functioning (OFF) Scale and standard OCD measures were completed. Descriptive, between-site and cross-perspective comparative analyses were followed by regression model testing to predict family impairment. Results Family functioning was negatively impacted from youth, mother, and father perspectives. Impairment was reportedly more extensive at the time of worst OCD severity and was greater from maternal versus paternal viewpoints. Most frequently impacted family tasks and implicated OCD symptoms included morning and bedtime routines and intrusive thoughts. Emotional repercussions included stress and anxiety, followed by frustration/anger in youth and sadness in parents. Nearly half of mothers and a third of fathers reported daily occupational impairment. Compared to youth self-report, parents perceived fewer social and academic impacts on their child. Family accommodation most consistently predicted family impairment, especially from parent perspectives. OCD and compulsion severity, contamination and religious obsessions, and comorbidities also predicted various perspectives of family subdomain impairment. Conclusion This study quantitatively details the pervasive burden that pediatric OCD places on families, as reported from complementary relative perspectives. Further attention to this topic is warranted in clinical and research realms. PMID:28219490

  17. Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    McKay, Dean; Sookman, Debbie; Neziroglu, Fugen; Wilhelm, Sabine; Stein, Dan J; Kyrios, Michael; Matthews, Keith; Veale, David

    2015-05-30

    Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which encompasses exposure with response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy (CT), has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the samples studied (reflecting the heterogeneity of OCD), the interventions examined (reflecting the heterogeneity of CBT), and the definitions of treatment response vary considerably across studies. This review examined the meta-analyses conducted on ERP and cognitive therapy (CT) for OCD. Also examined was the available research on long-term outcome associated with ERP and CT. The available research indicates that ERP is the first line evidence based psychotherapeutic treatment for OCD and that concurrent administration of cognitive therapy that targets specific symptom-related difficulties characteristic of OCD may improve tolerance of distress, symptom-related dysfunctional beliefs, adherence to treatment, and reduce drop out. Recommendations are provided for treatment delivery for OCD in general practice and other service delivery settings. The literature suggests that ERP and CT may be delivered in a wide range of clinical settings. Although the data are not extensive, the available research suggests that treatment gains following ERP are durable. Suggestions for future research to refine therapeutic outcome are also considered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    McKay, Dean; Sookman, Debbie; Neziroglu, Fugen; Wilhelm, Sabine; Stein, Dan J; Kyrios, Michael; Matthews, Keith; Veale, David

    2015-02-28

    Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which encompasses exposure with response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy, has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the samples studied (reflecting the heterogeneity of OCD), the interventions examined (reflecting the heterogeneity of CBT), and the definitions of treatment response vary considerably across studies. This review examined the meta-analyses conducted on ERP and cognitive therapy (CT) for OCD. Also examined was the available research on long-term outcome associated with ERP and CT. The available research indicates that ERP is the first line evidence based psychotherapeutic treatment for OCD and that concurrent administration of cognitive therapy that targets specific symptom-related difficulties characteristic of OCD may improve tolerance of distress, symptom-related dysfunctional beliefs, adherence to treatment, and reduce drop out. Recommendations are provided for treatment delivery for OCD in general practice and other service delivery settings. The literature suggests that ERP and CT may be delivered in a wide range of clinical settings. Although the data are not extensive, the available research suggests that treatment gains following ERP are durable. Suggestions for future research to refine therapeutic outcome are also considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A Naturalistic Study of Referred Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masi, Gabriele; Millepiedi, Stefania; Mucci, Maria; Bertini, Nicoletta; Milantoni, Luca; Arcangeli, Francesca

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To report on clinical features, comorbidity, and response to pharmacotherapy in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) naturalistically followed and treated with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). Method: A consecutive series of 94 patients (65 males, 29 females, age 13.6 [+ or -] 2.8 years), referred in…

  20. Prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in first-episode psychosis.

    PubMed

    Hagen, Kristen; Hansen, Bjarne; Joa, Inge; Larsen, Tor Ketil

    2013-05-30

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with psychotic disorders has been reported to be a frequent co-morbid disorder in patients with psychotic disorders. The aim of the study determine the prevalence of OCD in first-episode psychosis and the relationship with clinical characteristics. First-episode psychosis patients (N = 246) consecutively admitted to a comprehensive early psychosis program were assessed for OCD with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Symptom assessment measures were the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Global Assessment of Functioning, and the Clinician Rating Scale. Twenty-six patients (10.6%) fulfilled the criteria for OCD. Patients with comorbid OCD were younger, had more depressive symptoms and a higher rate of suicidal plans or attempts at index point compared to patients without OCD. The two groups did not differ with respect to other demographic variables or severity of psychotic symptoms. OCD is a significant comorbid disorder in patients with first-episode psychosis. Since treatment procedures are different, systematic screening for OCD is warranted.