Atomoxetine treatment of ADHD in children with comorbid Tourette syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines changes in severity of tics and ADHD during atomoxetine treatment in ADHD patients with Tourette syndrome (TS). METHOD: Subjects (7-17 years old) with ADHD (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV) and TS were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with placebo (n = 56) or atomoxetine (0.5-1.5 mg/kg/day, n = 61) for approximately 18 weeks. RESULTS: Atomoxetine subjects showed significantly greater improvement on ADHD symptom measures. Treatment was also associated with significantly greater reduction of tic severity on two of three measures. Significant increases were seen in mean pulse rate and rates of treatment-emergent nausea, decreased appetite, and decreased body weight. No other clinically relevant treatment differences were observed in any other vital sign, adverse event, laboratory parameter, or electrocardiographic measure. CONCLUSION: Atomoxetine is efficacious for treatment of ADHD and its use appears well tolerated in ADHD patients with comorbid TS.

Cognitive behavioral treatment for young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a distressing and functionally impairing disorder that can emerge as early as age 4. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for OCD in youth shows great promise for amelioration of symptoms and associated functional impairment. However, the empirical evidence base for the efficacy of CBT in youth has some significant limitations, particularly as related to treating the very young child with OCD. This report includes a quantitative review of existing child CBT studies to evaluate evidence for the efficacy of CBT for OCD. It identifies gaps in the literature that, when addressed, would enhance the understanding of effective treatment in pediatric OCD. Finally, it presents a proposed research agenda for addressing the unique concerns of the young child with OCD.

Triple board training and new "portals" into child psychiatry training.

Originally an experiment in medical training, the triple board program has established itself as a permanent and successful training program. It offers a viable 5-year alternative to the traditional 7 to 8 years of residency training required for board eligibility in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. One primary objective of this course was to address for workforce shortage of child psychiatrists by recruiting medical students who may otherwise have pursued general pediatrics. The second objective was to bridge the gap between child psychiatry and pediatrics by training physicians proficient in the culture, language, and content of both specialty fields. Although the shortage crisis continues, both objectives were met. The success of the triple board experiment has facilitated further consideration and support for the development of other novel training portals into child psychiatry.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Compulsions are meant to relieve anxiety or to prevent a dreaded event. An adolescent or adult may recognize that the ritual is unreasonable or excessive, but that is not necessarily true for the young child. Children and adolescents will attempt to hide their rituals, although with more severe symptoms, this is not usually possible. To meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder, the person must experience distress, spend more than 1 hour a day in either obsessions or compulsions, or experience significant interference in his/her life. This article reviews the phenomenology, causes, treatment, and outcome of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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. RESULTS: Sixteen subjects (32%) met DSM-IV lifetime diagnostic criteria for OCD and an additional 5 (10%) met criteria for subclinical OCD. Mean +/- SD number of symptoms reported on the self-report questionnaire was significantly higher among subjects diagnosed with OCD on clinical interview (40.7 +/- 23.2) compared with those without OCD (8.9 +/- 11.7; t = 5.8, df = 27, p <.001). CONCLUSION: Obsessive-compulsive disorder was 10 to 15 times more common in this cohort of patients with SLE compared with those in community-based studies of OCD. The use of an OCD self-report rating scale proved helpful in the identification of OCD symptoms among patients with SLE. Results suggest that further studies of OCD in patients with SLE are needed and may provide new insight into the pathophysiology of both disorders.

Family-based treatment of early-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Despite a meaningful common core of symptoms observed across the life span, there are particularly unique features of early-onset (prepubertal) obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that make consideration of early presentation different from adolescent or adult onset and that may have important implications for treatment. This article will first review the unique features of early-onset OCD, focusing particular attention to the developmental and familial context of these children's symptoms. The literature on behavioral family interventions for other childhood disorders, specifically anxiety, as well as that on family processes (e.g., parent-child interactions) in families of children with OCD will be reviewed. The pediatric OCD cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) literature (CBT alone and CBT plus medication) will also be reviewed, focusing on current evidence-based treatment guidelines. Finally, a model of family-based treatment for young children with OCD and some preliminary pilot data will be presented.

Symptom profiles in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): the effects of comorbid grooming conditions.

This study sought to examine possible differences in phenomenological features and/or symptom severity of children diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and a comorbid grooming condition (i.e., skin picking and trichotillomania). A total of 202 children receiving a primary diagnosis of OCD were classified into two distinct groups: (1) OCD alone (n=154) and (2) OCD plus a comorbid grooming condition (OCD+grooming; n=48). Analyses revealed that those children presenting with a comorbid grooming condition demonstrated different symptom profiles than those with OCD alone. In addition, parents of these children were more likely to report the presence of tactile/sensory sensitivity than those in the OCD alone group. However, no differences were found with respect to symptom severity via self-report (e.g., OCI) or semi-structured interview (e.g., CY-BOCS). Possible clinical and treatment implications, future areas of research, and limitations to the present study are discussed.

Early childhood OCD: preliminary findings from a family-based cognitive-behavioral approach.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relative efficacy of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) versus family-based relaxation treatment (RT) for young children ages 5 to 8 years with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: Forty-two young children with primary OCD were randomized to receive 12 sessions of family-based CBT or family-based RT. Assessments were conducted before and after treatment by independent raters blind to treatment assignment. Primary outcomes included scores on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement. RESULTS: For the intent-to-treat sample, CBT was associated with a moderate treatment effect (d = 0.53), although there was not a significant difference between the groups at conventional levels. For the completer sample, CBT had a large effect (d = 0.85), and there was a significant group difference favoring CBT. In the intent-to-treat sample, 50% of children in the CBT group achieved remission as compared to 20% in the RT group. In the completer sample, 69% of children in the CBT group achieved a clinical remission compared to 20% in the RT group. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that children with early-onset OCD benefit from a treatment approach tailored to their developmental needs and family context. CBT was effective in reducing OCD symptoms and in helping a large number of children achieve a clinical remission.

Pediatric psychotropic polypharmacy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study was a literature review designed to assess the rates of psychotropic "polypharmacy" in the pediatric population. Psychotropic polypharmacy was defined as the practice of prescribing two or more medications (e.g. concomitant psychotropic medications) for one or more diagnosed psychiatric conditions and/or behavioral symptoms. METHODS: A literature review of relevant articles pertaining to polypharmacy was completed using the Pub Med database from 1994 through April 2004 for pediatric populations under 18 years old. RESULTS: Studies were reviewed from various pediatric settings. While the extent of polypharmacy varied from the different populations, all the studies comparing these rates across time showed an increase in this practice. The use of stimulants with another psychotropic medication was the most frequent combination. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited information about the actual rates of psychotropic polypharmacy in the pediatric population. However, the data that are available demonstrate that this practice is on the rise. This is of specific concern due to the increase of adverse events with polypharmacy. The implications of polypharmacy, including efficacy and side effects, are generally unknown and may vary by specific combination. Therefore, these prescribing practices should be conducted with caution, and systematic research is needed.