A 5-year course of predominantly obsessive vs. mixed subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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.

Issues in the pharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Aims: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) preferentially responds to a class of antidepressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI). This review discusses certain issues unique to pharmacological treatment of OCD: choice of SRI, dose and duration of treatment, options after first failed SRI trial and treatment of SRI non-responders.

Methods: We performed a MEDLINE search for pharmacotherapy studies published until December 2006.

Motor inhibition in trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

We investigated motor inhibition abilities in trichotillomania (TTM) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), two disorders characterized by repetitive, intentionally performed behaviors. Performance in a GoNogo experiment of 25 TTM and 21 OCD participants was compared to the performance of 26 HC participants. In contrast to OCD and HC participants, TTM participants tended to perform either 'fast and inaccurate' (indicating poor motor inhibition) or 'slow and accurate'.

Estimated prevalence of compulsive buying behavior in the United States.

Objective: Compulsive buying (uncontrolled urges to buy, with resulting significant adverse consequences) has been estimated to affect from 1.8% to 16% of the adult U.S.

Cognitive retraining for organizational impairment in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have difficulties in organizing information during encoding associated with subsequent memory impairments. This study was designed to investigate whether impairments in organization in individuals with OCD can be alleviated with cognitive training. Thirty-five OCD subjects and 36 controls copied and recalled the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) [Osterrieth, P.

Habit reversal versus supportive psychotherapy in Tourette's disorder: a randomized controlled trial and predictors of treatment response.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is characterized by chronic motor and vocal tics. Habit reversal therapy (HR) is a behavioral treatment for tics which has received recent empirical support. The present study compared the efficacy of HRT in reducing tics, improving life-satisfaction and psychosocial functioning in comparison with supportive psychotherapy (SP) in outpatients with TS.

Visuospatial abilities, memory, and executive functioning in trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Few studies have compared neuropsychological functioning in trichotillomania (TTM) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In OCD, most studies suggest abnormal visuospatial abilities, memory, and executive functioning. We compared 23 TTM, 21 OCD and 26 healthy control individuals on neuropsychological tasks assessing these abilities.

Cognitive inhibition in trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Cognitive inhibition was investigated in 21 trichotillomania (TTM), 21 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and 26 healthy control (HC) participants using a block cued directed forgetting task. After encoding a word list, participants were instructed to intentionally FORGET these words and to REMEMBER another word list. Both lists included TTM-related and neutral (kitchen-related) words in equal proportions, with the TTM-related words generally of negative valence and the kitchen-related words generally of neutral valence for all participants.

Re-examining comorbidity of Obsessive Compulsive and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder using an empirically derived taxonomy.

Background: Using an empirically derived instrument to reduce the assessor bias inherent in structured diagnostic interviews, we sought to re-examine and validate the putative comorbidity between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents.

Method: We examined the correlation between Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) syndrome, competence, and composite scores in children with: 1) OCD plus ADHD (OCD + ADHD), N = 47; 2) OCD without comorbid ADHD (OCD), N = 33; 3) ADHD without comorbid OCD (ADHD) N = 43; and 4) comparison controls recruited from general pediatric clinics,N = 32.

Results: CBCL findings in our ADHD children were similar to previous findings reported in ADHD youth, irrespective of the presence or absence of comorbid OCD.

Emotion recognition deficits in body dysmorphic disorder.

Patients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) are characterized by excessive concerns about imagined defects in their appearance, most commonly, facial features. In this study, we investigated (1) the ability to identify facial expressions of emotion, and (2) to discriminate single facial features in BDD patients, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients, and in healthy control participants. Specifically, their ability for general facial feature discrimination was assessed using the Short Form of the Benton Facial Recognition Test (Benton AL, Hamsher KdeS, Varney NR, Spreen O.

Peritraumatic dissociation and PTSD severity: do event-related fears about death and control mediate their relation?

Relations among peritraumatic dissociation, PTSD severity, event-related fear (i.e. fear experienced during traumatic event) about death, and event-related fear about losing control were examined in the current study.

Medical disorders among patients admitted to a public-sector psychiatric inpatient unit.

Active and important physical disorders are common among public-sector psychiatric patients and are frequently undetected. A total of 289 patients who were consecutively admitted to a public psychiatric hospital were screened for physical disorders and given medical evaluations when screening results suggested an active and important physical disorder. Twenty-nine percent of the patients had such disorders.

Comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder: impact on treatment outcome for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: The study tested the effect of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on behavior therapy outcome for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method: Subjects were 15 patients with treatment-refractory OCD who were admitted consecutively to a short-term residential facility. Eight met DSM-IV criteria for comorbid PTSD.

Prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in a German college student sample.

The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) was investigated in a non-clinical sample. German college students (n=133; 73.7% female) completed self-report questionnaires assessing BDD, self-esteem, symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and skin picking.

Fluoxetine treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: a placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Objective: This study assesses the efficacy and tolerability of fluoxetine in the acute treatment of child and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during a 13-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Method: Eligible patients aged 7 to 17 (N = 103) were randomized at a ratio of 2:1 to receive either fluoxetine or placebo. Dosing was initiated at 10 mg daily for 2 weeks, then increased to 20 mg daily.

Repetitive skin-picking in a student population and comparison with a sample of self-injurious skin-pickers.

The prevalence of skin-picking and its associated characteristics were documented in a nonclinical sample of 105 college students. Subjects completed a self-report skin-picking inventory and several paper-and-pencil scales. Students who endorsed skin-picking were compared to a clinical sample of self-injurious skin-pickers (n = 31) reported on previously.

Pulse loading versus gradual dosing of intravenous clomipramine in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: We compared gradually increased to pulse loaded doses of open-label, intravenous clomipramine (CMI) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method: We treated adult outpatients with DSM-III-R OCD, who had no prior exposure to effective treatments. Pulse loading patients received 150 mg on day 1; 150 mg or 200 mg on day 2.

Prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in patients with anxiety disorders.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a debilitating disorder that often goes undetected in clinical practice. To provide information on the diagnostic correlates of BDD, we examined rates among outpatients seeking treatment for anxiety disorders. Participants (N = 165) were evaluated with a structured clinical interview and received the following primary diagnoses: panic disorder (n = 80), obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 40), social phobia (n = 25) and generalized anxiety disorder (n = 20).

Open trial of fluoxetine in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A 12-week open trial of fluoxetine in 61 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients significantly improved depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Baseline depression scores were not related to improvement on two obsessive-compulsive scales. The results reinforce the hypothesis of serotonergic abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder.