Clinical predictors of early fluoxetine treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Despite wide use, relatively little is known about sociodemographic and clinical characteristics that predict early fluoxetine response. What research has been conducted has produced inconsistent findings, which may be due to the statistical procedures used, and no studies to date have examined predictors of early fluoxetine treatment response. Sixty adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) completed an open-label fluoxetine trial for 8 weeks (up to 40 mg) after a 1-week, single-blind, placebo run-in before baseline assessment. The baseline and posttreatment assessment battery included the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Patient characteristics included illness duration, age, age of onset, gender, and pharmacological treatment history. Independent t-tests and multiple logistic regression analysis showed that longer illness duration, older age, and greater symptom severity were associated with nonresponse. Our findings highlight the impact of functional psychiatric impairment on determining those who may respond to treatment. Furthermore, findings suggest early predictors of patients with certain characteristics who may ultimately need adjunctive care to facilitate response.