Evaluation of Ocular Parameters in Newly Diagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Children With Eye-Rubbing Compulsion.

Purpose: To determine the ocular structural changes in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) children with eye-rubbing compulsion.

Methods: Participants recruited at the child and adolescent psychiatry clinic were evaluated for the OCD diagnosis. All patients underwent imaging with Scheimpflug corneal topography (Sirius, CSO, Italy), Tomey EM-4000 specular microscopy (Nagoya, Japan), and Lenstar LS 900 (Haag-Streit AG, Switzerland) optical biometry.

Fear and Safety Learning in Anxiety- and Stress-Related Disorders: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Fear learning processes are believed to play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of anxiety and stress-related disorders. To integrate results across different studies, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines to examine differences in fear conditioning during fear acquisition, extinction, and extinction recall between individuals with anxiety-related or stress-related disorders and healthy participants. This analysis updates the work of Duits et al.

Exploring the immunomodulatory effects of sertraline: Cytokine modulation and signaling pathway dynamics.

This study explores the nuanced immunomodulatory effects of sertraline, which is widely used in the treatment of major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety in adults and children. Recent investigations have emphasized the intricate interplay between depression and the body's inflammatory response. This has sparked an exploration into the impact of sertraline on the immune system, an area that still awaits comprehensive exploration.

Commentary on "Consumed by Creed".

"Consumed by Creed" is a research article that suggests a link between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and support for political violence. Analyzing the article and the data set provided by the authors, we found errors in their methodology and procedures, accompanied by a high degree of researcher freedom that could have led to the finding of false-positive results. Given the important political and psychological implications of the claimed findings and the weakness of the evidence presented, we recommend substantial caution in interpreting the results reported in the article, and we urge researchers to drastically improve current research practices in the field of radicalization to ensure that policy decisions are based on valid and reliable evidence.

Clinical Study of Limosilactobacillus reuteri for the Treatment of Children with Chronic Tic Disorders/Tourette Syndrome: A Mid-Term Efficacy Evaluation.

Introduction: Gut microbiota plays an important role in tic disorders (TDs); however, clinical research on probiotics for chronic TDs treatment is lacking. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of probiotics, hypothesizing that their clinical efficacy is comparable to that of clonidine in treating chronic TDs.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either Limosilactobacillus reuteri or clonidine transdermal patch treatment for 8 weeks while maintaining their existing treatment.

ACT for OCD: An Example of ACT and Values-Based Exposures.

Exposure exercises as seen in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) are standard in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In the last two decades, additional research has been conducted on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and the ways that exposure exercises are conducted from an ACT model. Empirical support for conducting exposures from an ACT model exists.

The NExT trial: Protocol for a two-phase randomized controlled trial testing transcranial magnetic stimulation to augment exposure therapy for youth with OCD.

Background: Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) is a first-line treatment for OCD, but even when combined with first-line medications it is insufficiently effective for approximately half of patients. Compulsivity in OCD is thought to arise from an imbalance of two distinct neural circuits associated with specific subregions of striatum. Targeted modulation of these circuits via key cortical nodes (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [dlPFC] or presupplementary motor area [pSMA]) has the potential to improve ERP efficacy by decreasing compulsions during therapy.

"Are we genuinely going to have our voices heard?" The experience of co-producing a blended intervention to prevent relapse in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a qualitative study on the perspectives of experts by lived experience.

Introduction: Co-production involves researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience working in a collaborative manner, with shared power. The potential benefits of co-production are well documented. However, there is little research describing the experience of having been involved in co-production from the perspective of Experts By Lived Experience (EBLE).

Navigating recovery in childhood OCD: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators.

Objective: The objective is to examine barriers and facilitators to recovery in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using a qualitative approach.

Methods: Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings were validated through investigator triangulation, peer validation and member check.

Decision-making using the Iowa gambling test in unaffected first-degree relatives of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Comparison with healthy controls and patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Decision-making has been suggested as an endophenotype candidate for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, few studies have examined whether decision-making under ambiguity is an endophenotype of OCD. This study aimed to investigate decision-making under ambiguity, as assessed by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), in patients with OCD and unaffected first-degree relatives (UFDR).

Exploring the Prevalence and Etiological Factors of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Cosmetic Surgery Populations: Implications for Enhanced Clinical Assessment.

Background: The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) varies across different clinical settings, with evidence indicating its notable presence not only in psychiatric environments but also in dermatology and plastic surgery. This article aims to investigate the etiological factors associated with the elevated incidence of BDD in plastic surgery outpatient settings, with the ultimate objective of enhancing the assessment process for potential cosmetic procedure candidates.

Methods: We recruited 531 patients seeking consultations or surgeries at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, from October 2022 to February 2024.

Multimodal Prediction of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Comorbid Depression Severity and Energy Delivered by Deep Brain Electrodes.

To develop reliable, valid, and efficient measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity, comorbid depression severity, and total electrical energy delivered (TEED) by deep brain stimulation (DBS), we trained and compared random forests regression models in a clinical trial of participants receiving DBS for refractory OCD. Six participants were recorded during open-ended interviews at pre- and post-surgery baselines and then at 3-month intervals following DBS activation. Ground-truth severity was assessed by clinical interview and self-report.

Efficacy of the mHealth App Intellect in Improving Subclinical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial With a 4-Week Follow-Up.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the third most prevalent mental health disorder in Singapore, with a high degree of burden and large treatment gaps. Self-guided programs on mobile apps are accessible and affordable interventions, with the potential to address subclinical OCD before symptoms escalate.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the efficacy of a self-guided OCD program on the mobile health (mHealth) app Intellect in improving subclinical OCD and maladaptive perfectionism (MP) as a potential moderator of this predicted relationship.

Natural history of SGCE-associated myoclonus dystonia in children and adolescents.

Aim: To investigate the natural progression of SGCE-associated myoclonus dystonia from symptom onset in childhood to early adulthood.

Method: Myoclonus and dystonia were monitored using rating scales in two cohorts of participants from Spain and the Netherlands. Individual annualized rates of change were calculated and longitudinal trends were assessed using Bayesian mixed models.

Sustained improvement of obsessive-compulsive symptoms following interruption of deep brain stimulation.

A 59-year-old male with severe treatment-resistant OCD achieved sustained symptom improvement after discontinuing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for over four years. Despite partial relief with ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) DBS, complications led to device removal in 2018. Remarkably, the patient remained largely symptom-free, suggesting neuroplasticity changes in dysfunctional neurocircuits.

Predictors of outcome following psychological therapy for depression and anxiety in an urban primary care service: a naturalistic Bayesian prediction modeling approach.

Background: England's primary care service for psychological therapy (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies [IAPT]) treats anxiety and depression, with a target recovery rate of 50%. Identifying the characteristics of patients who achieve recovery may assist in optimizing future treatment. This naturalistic cohort study investigated pre-therapy characteristics as predictors of recovery and improvement after IAPT therapy.

Exploring the Potential and Challenges of Digital and AI-Driven Psychotherapy for ADHD, OCD, Schizophrenia, and Substance Use Disorders: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.

Purpose Of The Review: Psychotherapy remains a fundamental component of mental health treatment, yet it encounters significant barriers to accessibility and efficacy. The integration of digital therapies, encompassing e-Health, m-Health, and artificial intelligence (AI) offers the transformative potential to enhance therapeutic processes through automated systems that improve access and personalize treatment. This integration, however, involves complex considerations, including health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the dynamics of the therapeutic alliance.

Assessment of Public Stigma, Mental Health Literacy, and Help-Seeking Intentions Based on Different Dimensions of Obsessive-Compulsive Content: A Study of the Spanish Mental Health-Naïve Population.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive (OC) disorder is a debilitating disorder with a high delay in help-seeking that could be associated with two barriers that may differ between OC content dimensions: public stigma and mental health literacy.

Objectives: We aim to describe and analyze the differences among OC content dimensions in public stigma, social distance desire, mental health literacy, and help-seeking intention in a sample of the mental health-naïve population.

Methods: A total of 487 participants from the Spanish community with no previous knowledge of or experience with OCD were randomly allocated one of six vignettes describing a person with OC symptoms of one out of six contents (i.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news reports of contaminated food.

We present a case of a woman in her early 30s who developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms following exposure to news reports about instant noodles allegedly contaminated with a carcinogenic substance. The news triggered an overwhelming fear of ingesting harmful food associated with persistent and intrusive thoughts about contamination in this patient. As a result, she adopted extreme food avoidance behaviours and restricted her oral intake for 2 weeks, causing significant weight loss and anxiety.

Functional MRI-Specific Alternations in default mode network in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A voxel-based meta-analysis.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and debilitating mental disorder. Neuroimaging studies have highlighted that the dysfunctional default mode network (DMN) plays a key role in the pathophysiology mechanisms of OCD. However, the findings of impaired DMN regions have been inconsistent.

[Kieron O'Connor's scientific contribution to the characterization and treatment of Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorders].

Background Researcher and psychologist Kieron Philip O'Connor (1950-2019) pioneered the cognitive and behavioural approach at the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (IUSMM). It was there that he began a career as a clinical researcher studying Tourette's syndrome (TS) and obsessive-compulsive and related disorder (OCD). At the time, apart from some behavioural approaches, little cognitive intervention was available to treat chronic tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Towards the DSM-6: The intersection of OCD and psychosis. Expert perspectives on insight in the diagnosis of OCD.

In 1994, the DSM-IV added the specifier "with poor insight" to the diagnostic criteria of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The DSM-5 went one step further and now allows clinicians to diagnose OCD "with absent insight/delusional beliefs," thereby blurring the long-standing distinction between OCD and psychosis. The present study surveyed OCD experts as to their opinions on the insight specifier and the future classification of OCD.

Fears Worth Testing Out: A Systematic Review of the Neural Mechanisms of Treatment Outcome for Anxiety-Related Disorders.

With the advent of human neuroimaging, researchers were drawn to the idea that by better understanding the human brain, more effective mental health interventions could be developed. It has been more than 20 years since the first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were conducted to examine changes in brain activation with anxiety-related treatments and more than 60 studies have since been published in this vein. For the current review, we conduct a systematic review of this literature, focusing on adult studies using task-based fMRI to measure brain activation changes with pharmacologic or psychotherapy interventions for phobia, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.