Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: The goal of this pilot study was to investigate the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a group of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Method: Fifty adult patients enrolled in out-patient SLE studies at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (February 1995-October 1996) completed a self-report questionnaire adapted from the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and an in-person psychiatric clinical interview with a psychiatrist or psychiatric clinical nurse specialist. DSM-IV lifetime diagnosis of OCD was determined by clinical interview.

Postinfectious and other forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The search for subtypes of OCD has led to increased appreciation of the importance of distinguishing early (prepubertal) versus later on-set, and of tic-related versus non-tic related subtypes, as well as postinfectious forms of the disorder. How these apparent typologies relate to each other remains to be elucidated. Careful longitudinal clinical descriptive studies, as well as the ongoing application of genetic, neuroimaging, and immunologic techniques, promise to advance our understanding of how genotype and environmental factors interact to produce the diverse clinical forms of OCD and to point the way to more effective treatment.

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

Background: Some children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders appear to have symptom exacerbations triggered by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections in a manner that is similar to rheumatic fever and its neurologic variant, Sydenham's chorea. Because penicillin prophylaxis has proven to be effective in preventing recurrences of rheumatic fever, it was postulated that it might also prevent streptococcal-triggered neuropsychiatric symptom exacerbations in children with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS). These children are identified by five clinical characteristics: presence of OCD or tic disorder, prepubertal onset, episodic symptom course, neurologic abnormalities (i.

The influence of ondansetron and m-chlorophenylpiperazine on scopolamine-induced cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses in young healthy controls.

Background: There is evidence from animal and human experiments that learning and memory come under the separate influence of both cholinergic and serotonergic pathways. We were interested in learning whether serotonergic drugs could attenuate or exacerbate the memory-impairing effects of anticholinergic blockade in humans.

Methods: The selective serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron (0.

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

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of a novel group of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders, designated as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal (group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal [GABHS]) infections (PANDAS).

Method: The authors conducted a systematic clinical evaluation of 50 children who met all of the following five working diagnostic criteria: presence of OCD and/or a tic disorder, prepubertal symptom onset, episodic course of symptom severity, association with GABHS infections, and association with neurological abnormalities.

Results: The children's symptom onset was acute and dramatic, typically triggered by GABHS infections at a very early age (mean = 6.