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Clinical effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) versus fluoxetine in obsessive-compulsive disorder outpatients that could present additional psychiatric comorbidities was assessed. Patients (18–65 years; baseline Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive-Scale [Y-BOCS] scores ≥ 16; potentially presenting additional psychiatric comorbidities) were sequentially allocated for treatment with GCBT (n = 70) or fluoxetine (n = 88). Mean Y-BOCS scores decreased by 23.13% in the GCBT and 21.54% in the SSRI groups (p = 0.875). Patients presented a mean of 2.7 psychiatric comorbidities, and 81.4% showed at least one additional disorder. A reduction of at least 35% in baseline Y-BOCS scores and CGI ratings of 1 (much better) or 2 (better) was achieved by 33.3% of GCBT patients and 27.7% in the SSRI group (p = 0.463). The Y-BOCS reduction was significantly lower in patients with one or more psychiatric comorbidities (21.15%, and 18.73%, respectively) than in those with pure OCD (34.62%; p = 0.034). Being male, having comorbidity of Major Depression, Social Phobia, or Dysthymia predicted a worse response to both treatments. Response rates to both treatments were similar and lower than reported in the literature, probably due to the broad inclusion criteria and the resulting sample more similar to the real world population.

INTRODUCTION: In obsessive-compulsive disorder, early treatment discontinuation can hamper the effectiveness of first-line treatments. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical correlates of early treatment discontinuation among obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. METHODS: A group of patients who stopped taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or stopped participating in cognitive behavioral therapy before completion of the first twelve weeks (total n = 41; n = 16 for cognitive behavioral therapy and n = 25 for SSRIs) were compared with a paired sample of compliant patients (n = 41). Demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained at baseline using structured clinical interviews. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used when indicated. Variables presenting a p value

Background The aim of the study was to investigate how perfectionism and sensory phenomena (SP) interact as possible phenotypic components of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods Forty-seven adult outpatients, meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for OCD, and a control group of 41 community subjects were assessed using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), the University of Sao Paulo-Sensory Phenomena Scale, and other standard measures of OCD severity. Results Three of the FMPS subscales (“concern over mistakes,” “doubts about action,” and “parental criticism”) were significantly different between OCD patients and control subjects. All subtypes of SP were significantly more frequent and more severe in OCD than in control subjects. The “incompleteness” subtype of SP was associated with high scores on all dimensions of the FMPS, whereas the “just-right” subtype of SP was only associated with “doubts about action,” “personal standards,” and “organization” subscales of the FMPS. Conclusions Presence and severity of SP and specific elements of perfectionism clearly distinguish OCD patients from healthy control subjects. Some SP subtypes are associated with specific FPMS subscale scores, whereas others are not. These results emphasize the relevance of assessing different subtypes of perfectionism and SP in OCD patients as important subcomponents of the OCD phenotype.

Introdução: A Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental (TCC) e os inibidores seletivos de recaptação de serotonina (ISRS) são considerados os tratamentos de primeira linha para o Transtorno Obsessivo-Compulsivo (TOC) nos ensaios clínicos randomizados (ECR). No entanto, a maior parte destes estudos exclui grande parte dos pacientes (em torno de 50%) por apresentarem comorbidades psiquiátricas. Ensaios clínicos pragmáticos e de efetividade, que costumam simular ambientes clínicos naturalísticos ao estudar amostras que representam melhor a população real comparando tratamentos ativos, são de grande importância para as decisões tomadas por um sistema de saúde e poucos têm sido feitos para avaliar a efetividade dos tratamentos para o TOC. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar os tratamentos de primeira linha para o TOC em uma amostra mais próxima da população que procura atendimento e avaliar características clínicas associadas às respostas aos tratamentos. Metodologia: Pacientes de 18 a 65 anos de idade, com escore de linha de base da YBOCS de pelo menos 16 para obsessões e compulsões, ou pelo menos 10 apenas para obsessões ou compulsões e com possíveis comorbidades psiquiátricas adicionais foram alocados seqüencialmente para tratamento de TCC em grupo (TCCG; n = 70) ou para tratamento medicamentoso (ISRS; n = 88). A TCCG consistiu em doze sessões semanais de duas horas cada com grupos de 6 a 8 pacientes, baseadas em um manual validado (Cordioli, 2002). O medicamento utilizado foi a fluoxetina com dosagem máxima de 80mg/dia. Foram analisadas respostas aos tratamentos como variáveis contínua (redução percentual na YBOCS) e categórica (redução de pelo menos 35% na YBOCS e ICG 1 muito melhor ou 2 melhor. Resultados: Os escores da YBOCS reduziram 23,13% no grupo tratado com TCCG e 21,54% no grupo tratado com ISRS, sem diferença estatística entre os grupos de tratamento (p = 0,875). Foi encontrada em 33,3% dos pacientes de TCCG e 27,7% dos pacientes de ISRS a redução de pelo menos 35% no escore da YBOCS e resposta à ICG 1 ou 2 (p = 0,463). O número médio de comorbidades psiquiátricas por paciente foi 2,7; e 81,4% da amostra apresentou pelo menos uma comorbidade. A redução na YBOCS foi significativamente menor entre os pacientes com uma ou mais comorbidade psiquiátrica (21,15% e 18,73%, respectivamente) do que entre os pacientes com TOC puro (34,62%) (p = 0,034). Sexo masculino, apresentar um escore inicial mais alto na Beck-A, ter abandonado o tratamento e apresentar comorbidade com Transtorno Depressivo Maior ou Distimia foram associados com taxas mais baixas de resposta ao tratamento, independente do tratamento recebido. Os resultados sugeriram que em uma população mais heterogênea os tratamentos de primeira linha para o TOC são menos efetivos. É necessário o desenvolvimento de intervenções que sejam efetivas para uma população da prática clínica Introduction: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are considered the first line treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in randomized controlled trials (RCT). However, most of these trials exclude a great amount of patients (around 50%) for presenting psychiatric comorbidities. Pragmatical and effectiveness clinical trials simulate natural clinical environments and compare active treatments in samples that represent the real population. These trials are of great importance for decision makers of the health public system, and only a few trials have investigated the effectiveness of treatments to OCD. The aim of this study was to compare the first line OCD treatments in a sample closer to the OCD real population, and to evaluate clinical characteristics associated to responses to treatments. Methodoly: Patients (1865 years; baseline Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) scores 16; potentially presenting additional psychiatric comorbidities) were sequentially allocated for treatment with group CBT (GCBT; n=70) or pharmacological treatment (SSRI; n=88). GCBT consisted in twelve two hours weekly sessions with groups of 6 to 8 patients, based in a validated manual (Cordioli, 2002). Medication utilized in SSRI group was fluoxetine, 80mg/day. Response to treatment was analyzed as continuous variable (percent reduction on YBOCS) and as categorical variable (reduction of at least 35% on YBOCS and CGI 1 much better or 2 better. Results: Mean Y-BOCS scores fell by 23.13% in the GCBT and 21.54% in the SSRI group. Symptom reduction did not differ between groups (p = 0.875). A reduction of at least 35% in baseline Y-BOCS score and a CGI rating of 1 (much better) or 2 (better) was achieved by 33.3% of patients in the GCBT and 27.7% in the SSRI group (p=0.463). Patients presented 2.7 mean number of psychiatric comorbidity, and 81.4% showed at least one additional disorder. The YBOCS reduction was significantly lower in patients with one or more psychiatric comorbidities (21.15%, and 18.73%, respectively) than those with pure OCD (34.62%) (p = 0.034). Low responses to treatments were found to be associated to: being male, presenting a high initial Beck-A score, comorbid major depression, dysthymia and abandoning treatment, independently of the treatment received. The development of effective interventions to a real population is necessary

Objective This study aims to investigate the effect of sociodemographic and clinical features on the short-term response to pharmacological treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We focused especially on investigating factors previously associated with poorer prognosis, such as comorbidity with tic disorders, early onset of symptoms, and sensory phenomena preceding compulsions, which have been described as common in both tic-related and early-onset OCD. Method The study involved 41 consecutive adult patients with OCD diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ( DSM-IV ) criteria and was conducted at the OCD Spectrum Disorders Clinic of the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine in Sao Paulo, Brazil, between January of 2000 and December of 2001. All patients were treated exclusively with oral clomipramine for 14 weeks. Treatment response, measured for Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score decrease from baseline, was assessed by an investigator blinded as to the variables of interest present. Results Linear regression analysis showed that having a partner and sensory phenomena preceding compulsions were associated with better response to clomipramine treatment ( P = .04 and P = .002, respectively). Tic comorbidity and early onset of symptoms were not associated with poorer response. Conclusions In OCD, having a partner and sensory phenomena preceding compulsions seem to be associated with a favorable response to pharmacological treatment.

Background Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition that normally presents high rates of psychiatric comorbidity. Depression, tic disorders and other anxiety disorders are among the most common comorbidities in OCD adult patients. There is evidence that the higher the number of psychiatric comorbidities, the worse the OCD treatment response. However, little is known about the impact of OCD treatment on the outcome of the psychiatric comorbidities usually present in OCD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of exclusive, conventional treatments for OCD on the outcome of additional psychiatric disorders of OCD patients, detected at baseline. Methods Seventy-six patients with primary OCD admitted to the treatment protocols of the Obsessive–Compulsive Spectrum Disorders Program between July 2007 and December 2009 were evaluated at pre-treatment and after 12 months. Data were analyzed to verify possible associations between OCD treatment response and the outcome of psychiatric comorbidities. Results Results showed a significant association between OCD treatment response and improvement of major depression and dysthymia (p-value = 0.002), other anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified) (p-value = 0.054) and tic disorders (p-value = 0.043). Limitations This is an open, non-blinded study, without rating scales for comorbid conditions. Further research is necessary focusing on the possible mechanisms by which OCD treatment could improve these specific disorders. Conclusions Our results suggest that certain comorbid disorders may benefit from OCD-targeted treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a protocol that was based on an integrative neurobiological model of scientific investigation to better understand the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder and to present the clinical and demographic characteristics of the sample. METHOD: A standardized research protocol that combines different methods of investigation (genetics, neuropsychology, morphometric magnetic resonance imaging and molecular neuroimaging of the dopamine transporter) obtained before and after treatment of drug-naïve adult obsessive-compulsive disorder patients submitted to a sequentially allocated 12-week clinical trial with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (fluoxetine) and group cognitive-behavioral therapy. RESULTS: Fifty-two treatment-naïve obsessive-compulsive disorder patients entered the clinical trial (27 received fluoxetine and 25 received group cognitive-behavioral therapy). At baseline, 47 blood samples for genetic studies, 50 neuropsychological evaluations, 50 morphometrical magnetic resonance images and 48 TRODAT-1 single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) exams were obtained. After 12 weeks, 38 patients completed the protocol (fluoxetine = 20 and GCBT = 18). Thirty-eight neuropsychological evaluations, 31 morphometrical magnetic resonance images and 34 TRODAT-1 SPECT exams were obtained post-treatment. Forty-one healthy controls matched for age, gender, socioeconomic status, level of education and laterality were submitted to the same research procedures at baseline. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive treatment response protocol applied in this project allowing integration on genetic, neuropsychological, morphometrical and molecular imaging of the dopamine transporter data in drug-naïve patients has the potential to generate important original information on the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and at the same time be clinically meaningful. OBJETIVO: Descrever um protocolo integrativo de investigação neurobiológica para melhor compreender as bases patofisiológicas do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo e apresentar as características clínicas e demográficas da amostra. MÉTODO: Protocolo padronizado que combina diferentes modalidades de investigação (genética, neuropsicologia, ressonância magnética cerebral e imagem molecular do transportador de dopamina) obtidas antes e depois do tratamento em pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo nunca expostos à medicação submetidos a um ensaio clínico comparando um inibidor seletivo da recaptação de serotonina (fluoxetina) e terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo. RESULTADOS: Cinquenta e dois pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo entraram no ensaio clínico (27 no grupo fluoxetina e 25 no grupo de terapia). No início, foram realizadas 47 coletas de sangue para genética, 50 avaliações neuropsicológicas, 50 ressonâncias magnéticas cerebrais e 48 exames de tomografia computadorizada por emissão de fóton único (SPECT) com TRODAT-1. Depois de 12 semanas, 38 pacientes terminaram o protocolo (20 no grupo de fluoxetina e 18 no grupo de terapia). Trinta e oito reavaliações neuropsicológicas, 31 ressonâncias magnéticas de crânio e 34 exames de SPECT foram obtidos após o tratamento. Quarenta e um controles pareados foram submetidos ao mesmo protocolo inicial. CONCLUSÃO: Os dados genéticos, neuropsicológicos, volumétricos e moleculares do transportador de dopamina aliados à resposta a tratamento podem tanto gerar informações importantes a respeito da neurobiologia do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo quanto ter uma aplicação clínica.

Few case series studies have addressed the issue of treatment response in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and there are no prospective studies addressing response to conventional treatment in OCD patients with a history of trauma (HT). The present study aimed to investigate, prospectively, the impact of HT or PTSD on two systematic, first-line treatments for OCD. Two hundred and nineteen non-treatment-resistant OCD outpatients were treated with either group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT n = 147) or monotherapy with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI n = 72). Presence of HT and PTSD were assessed at intake, as part of a broader clinical and demographical baseline characterization of the sample. Severity and types of OCD symptoms were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and the Dimensional YBOCS (DYBOCS), respectively. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Both treatments had 12-week duration. Treatment response was considered as a categorical [35% or greater reduction in baseline YBOCS scores plus a Clinical Global Impression-Improvement rating of better (2) or much better (1)] and continuous variable (absolute number reduction in baseline YBOCS scores). Treatment response was compared between the OCD + HT group versus the OCD without HT group and between the OCD + PTSD group versus the OCD without PTSD group. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used when indicated. Data on HT and PTSD were available for 215 subjects. Thirty-eight subjects (17.67% of the whole sample) had a positive HT (OCD + HT group) and 22 subjects (57.89% of the OCD + HT group and 10.23% of the whole sample) met full DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. The OCD + HT and OCD without HT groups presented similar response to GCBT (60% of responders in the first group and 63% of responders in the second group, p = 1.00). Regarding SSRI treatment, the difference between the response of the OCD + HT (47.4%) and OCD without HT (22.2%) groups was marginally significant (p = 0.07). In addition, the OCD + PTSD group presented a greater treatment response than the OCD without PTSD group when treatment response was considered as a continuous variable (p = 0.01). The age when the first trauma occurred had no impact on treatment response. In terms of specific OCD symptom dimensions, as measured by the DYBOCS, OCD treatment fostered greater reductions for the OCD + PTSD group than for the OCD without PTSD group in the scores of contamination obsessions and cleaning compulsions, collecting and hoarding and miscellaneous obsessions and related compulsions (including illness concerns and mental rituals, among others). The OCD + PTSD group also presented a greater reduction in anxiety scores than the OCD without PTSD group (p = 0.003). The presence of HT or PTSD was not related to a poorer treatment response in this sample of non-treatment-resistant OCD patients. Unexpectedly, OCD patients with PTSD presented a greater magnitude of response when compared with OCD without PTSD patients in specific OCD symptom dimensions. Future studies are needed to clarify if trauma and PTSD have a more significant impact on the onset and clinical expression of OCD than on the conventional treatment for this condition, and whether OCD stemming from trauma would constitute a subtype of OCD with a distinct response to conventional treatment.

Despite the fact that majority of OCD patients responds to conventional treatments, about 40% remain symptomatic after appropriate trials with serotonin uptake inhibitors (SRIs) or behavioral therapy. A patient is considered treatment-resistant after failing to respond to three pharmacological trials with SRIs as well as to behavior therapy. When all somatic strategies have been tried, including augmentation with other medications, and the patient remains symptomatic, he or she is considered treatment refractory. The concepts of resistance and refractoriness are briefly revised, and the current augmentation strategies, as well as non-pharmacological approaches such as neurosurgery and transcranial magnetic stimulation, are addressed in this paper. Finally, issues of predictive response factors, pharmacogenetics, and the pathophysiology of resistant cases are suggested as targets for further researches.

OBJECTIVE: The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale is the most frequently used instrument to measure obsessive-compulsive symptom severity. We describe its shortcomings and propose new methods of evaluating current severity and treatment response. METHOD: The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale total and subscale scores were pooled from one cross-sectional study database containing information on 1,000 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients from seven specialized mental health care centers. Additional longitudinal data were pooled for 155 patients who participated in a 12-week trial that evaluated the effectiveness of fluoxetine vs. cognitive-behavior therapy as first-line treatment options. All patients were followed by a clinician who provided a clinical opinion of improvement. Neither patients nor clinicians were aware of the classifications proposed in this study. New methods for using the severity scores were compared with the clinical opinion of improvement. RESULTS: In the Yale-Brown Obsessive-compulsive scale, the summing-up of subscale scores to compose a total score does not accurately reflect clinical severity. In addition, the reduction of scores with treatment does not usually reach score zero in either subscale. To overcome such problems, we suggest (a) use of the maximum score of any of the subscales; (b) use of a minimum score of 4 in each subscale or 5 for the maximum in any subscale as the goal after treatment. This method performed better than traditional ones regarding sensitivity and specificity against the gold standard represented by the clinical opinion of improvement. CONCLUSION: The new proposed response criteria are coherent with the clinical opinion of improvement and perform better than the traditional methodology. RESUMO OBJETIVO: A escala de Yale-Brown para avaliação do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo é o instrumento mais utilizado para medir a gravidade desse transtorno. Descrevemos as deficiências dessa escala e propomos novos métodos de cálculo dos escores para avaliação de gravidade e resposta ao tratamento. MÉTODO: Os escores totais e subtotais da escala de Yale-Brown foram recuperados de um banco de dados de um estudo transversal com informações sobre 1.000 pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivos atendidos em sete centros especializados em saúde mental. Foram acrescentados os dados longitudinais de 155 pacientes participantes de um ensaio clínico de 12 semanas que avaliou a eficácia da fluoxetina ou da terapia cognitivo-comportamental como opções de tratamento de primeira linha. Todos os pacientes foram acompanhados por um médico que forneceu um parecer clínico de melhora. Nem os pacientes nem os médicos estavam conscientes das classificações propostas neste estudo. Novos métodos para avaliar os escores de gravidade foram comparados com o parecer clínico de melhora. RESULTADOS: Na escala obsessivo-compulsiva Yale-Brown, a soma de sub-escalas para compor a pontuação total não reflete com precisão a gravidade clínica. Além disso, a redução da pontuação com o tratamento, normalmente, não atinge o valor zero em qualquer das sub-escalas. Para superar esses problemas, sugerimos (a) o uso da pontuação máxima de qualquer das sub-escalas antes do tratamento; (b) o uso de um score mínimo de 4 em cada sub-escala ou um escore mínimo de 5 como o máximo de qualquer das sub-escalas como a meta para o pós-tratamento. Os novos métodos propostos tiveram melhor desempenho do que os tradicionais quanto a sensibilidade e especificidade contra o padrão ouro representado pelo parecer clínico de melhora. CONCLUSÃO: Os novos critérios propostos são coerentes com o parecer clínico de melhora e desempenham melhor do que a metodologia tradicional.