NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF TREATMENT RESPONSE TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL GROUP THERAPY IN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER.

BACKGROUND: The available research on the relationship between neuropsychological functioning and the therapeutic outcome of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has yielded inconsistent results. In this study, our aim was twofold. First, we sought to evaluate the effects of cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) on neurocognitive functions in OCD patients. Second, we assessed the viability of neuropsychological test performance as a predictor of treatment response to CBGT. METHODS: One hundred fifty carefully screened OCD patients were randomized to receive either 12-week CBGT (n = 75) or to remain on a waiting list (WL; n = 75) for the corresponding time. Forty-seven participants dropped out of the study, leaving 103 participants that were included in the analysis (CBGT, n = 61; WL, n = 42). Participants had several neuropsychological domains evaluated both at baseline and at end-point. RESULTS: A significant difference in obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depression symptoms was observed between treated patients and controls favoring the CBGT group, but no significant differences were found on neuropsychological measures after 3 months of CBGT. In addition, there were no differences between treatment responders and nonresponders on all neuropsychological outcome measures. Employing a conservative alpha, neuropsychological test performance did not predict CBGT treatment response. CONCLUSIONS: Although the CBGT group demonstrated significant improvement in OCD symptoms, no significant difference was found on all neuropsychological domains, and test performance did not predict treatment response.

Towards a post-traumatic subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

We evaluated whether traumatic events are associated with a distinctive pattern of socio-demographic and clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We compared socio-demographic and clinical features of 106 patients developing OCD after post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; termed post-traumatic OCD), 41 patients developing OCD before PTSD (pre-traumatic OCD), and 810 OCD patients without any history of PTSD (non-traumatic OCD) using multinomial logistic regression analysis. A later age at onset of OCD, self-mutilation disorder, history of suicide plans, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and compulsive buying disorder were independently related to post-traumatic OCD. In contrast, earlier age at OCD onset, alcohol-related disorders, contamination-washing symptoms, and self-mutilation disorder were all independently associated with pre-traumatic OCD. In addition, patients with post-traumatic OCD without a previous history of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) showed lower educational levels, greater rates of contamination-washing symptoms, and more severe miscellaneous symptoms as compared to post-traumatic OCD patients with a history of OCS.

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised (OCI-R).

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised. METHOD: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised was administered to a total of 260 participants: a clinical sample of 130 patients with anxiety disorders (64 with a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, 33 diagnosed with social phobia, and 33 with panic disorder) and a sample of 130 non-clinical subjects. RESULTS: The findings indicate that the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised is a valid measure for identifying and assessing the severity of the six symptom subtypes in obsessive-compulsive disorder. The original factor structure of the instrument was replicated in an exploratory factor analysis. Test-retest reliability was examined using data from 64 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients who completed the inventory on two different occasions. In each sample, the overall and subscale scores showed moderate to good internal consistency, good convergent and divergent validity, and sensitivity to changes resulting from cognitive-behavioral group therapy. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised retains the psychometric properties of its original version and the Spanish, German and Icelandic versions.

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised (OCI-R) / Propriedades psicométricas da versão em português do Brasil da Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised (OCI-R)

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised. METHOD: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised was administered to a total of 260 participants: a clinical sample of 130 patients with anxiety disorders (64 with a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, 33 diagnosed with social phobia, and 33 with panic disorder) and a sample of 130 non-clinical subjects. RESULTS: The findings indicate that the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised is a valid measure for identifying and assessing the severity of the six symptom subtypes in obsessive-compulsive disorder. The original factor structure of the instrument was replicated in an exploratory factor analysis. Test-retest reliability was examined using data from 64 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients who completed the inventory on two different occasions. In each sample, the overall and subscale scores showed moderate to good internal consistency, good convergent and divergent validity, and sensitivity to changes resulting from cognitive-behavioral group therapy. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised retains the psychometric properties of its original version and the Spanish, German and Icelandic versions.

OBJETIVO: O presente estudo foi delineado para avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da versão em português do Brasil do Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised. MÉTODO: O Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised foi aplicado em um total de 260 indivíduos: em uma amostra clínica de 130 pacientes (64 pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo, 33 pacientes com fobia social e 33 pacientes com transtorno do pânico) mais uma amostra não clínica de 130 sujeitos. RESULTADOS: Os resultados indicam que o Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised é uma medida válida para identificar e avaliar a severidade dos seis subtipos de sintomas do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo. A estrutura fatorial do instrumento foi replicada em uma análise fatorial exploratória. A confiabilidade teste-reteste foi examinada usando os dados de 64 pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo que completaram o inventário em dois momentos diferentes. Em cada amostra, os escores total e das subescalas mostraram consistência interna de boa a moderada, boa validade concorrente e discriminante, e sensibilidade para as mudanças da terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos achados indicam que a versão para o português do Brasil do Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised manteve as propriedades psicométricas da versão original e das versões em espanhol, alemão e islandês.

Cognitive dysfunction in post-traumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether patients who develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after posttraumatic stress disorder, i.e. post-traumatic OCD (PsT-OCD), display a distinctive neurocognitive pattern of dysfunction. METHODS: Patients with PsT-OCD (n = 16), pre-traumatic OCD (PrT-OCD) (n = 18), non-traumatic OCD (NonT-OCD) (n = 67) and healthy controls (n = 17) had their performance compared on the following neuropsychological tests: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Iowa Gambling Task, the Wechsler Memory Scale Logical Memory, the Brief Visual Memory Test - Revised, and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale for Intelligence. RESULTS: Patients with OCD, as a group, were characterized by poor set-shifting abilities and impaired verbal and visuospatial memories. Impaired set-shifting abilities were found to correlate with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in all groups of patients with OCD, with the exception of PsT-OCD. Only patients with PsT-OCD were characterized by impaired visuospatial recognition, which was found to correlate with poor set-shifting abilities in this particular group of patients, but not in individuals with other types of OCD or in healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that PsT-OCD is associated with a distinctive pattern of neurocognitive dysfunction, thus providing support for a different subtype of OCD.

Adding motivational interviewing and thought mapping to cognitive-behavioral group therapy: results from a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: Recent factor-analytic studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder identified consistent symptom dimensions. This study was designed in order to observe which obsessive compulsive symptom dimensions could be changed by adding two individual sessions of motivational interviewing and thought mapping of cognitive-behavioral group therapy using a randomized clinical trial. METHOD: Forty outpatients with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder were randomly assigned to receive cognitive-behavioral group therapy (control group) or motivational interviewing+thought mapping plus cognitive-behavioral group therapy. To evaluate changes in symptom dimensions, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was administered at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS: At post-treatment, there were statistically significant differences between cognitive-behavioral group therapy and motivational interviewing+thought mapping+cognitive behavioral group therapy groups in the mean total Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score, and in the contamination and aggression dimension score. Hoarding showed a statistical trend towards improvement. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that adding motivational interviewing+thought mapping to cognitive-behavioral group therapy can facilitate changes and bring about a decrease in the scores in different obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom dimensions, as measured by the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Nonetheless, additional trials are needed to confirm these results.

Adding motivational interviewing and thought mapping to cognitive-behavioral group therapy: results from a randomized clinical trial / Adicionando a entrevista motivacional e o mapeamento cognitivo à terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo: resultados de um ensaio clínico randomizado

OBJECTIVE: Recent factor-analytic studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder identified consistent symptom dimensions. This study was designed in order to observe which obsessive compulsive symptom dimensions could be changed by adding two individual sessions of motivational interviewing and thought mapping of cognitive-behavioral group therapy using a randomized clinical trial. METHOD: Forty outpatients with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder were randomly assigned to receive cognitive-behavioral group therapy (control group) or motivational interviewing+thought mapping plus cognitive-behavioral group therapy. To evaluate changes in symptomdimensions, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was administered at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS: At post-treatment, there were statistically significant differences between cognitive-behavioral group therapy and motivational interviewing+thought mapping+cognitivebehavioral group therapy groups in the mean total Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score, and in the contamination and aggression dimension score. Hoarding showed a statistical trend towards improvement. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that adding motivational interviewing+thought mapping to cognitive-behavioral group therapy can facilitate changes and bring about a decrease in the scores in different obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom dimensions, as measured by the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Nonetheless, additional trials are needed to confirm these results.

OBJETIVO: Recentes estudos utilizando análise fatorial no transtorno obsessivocompulsivo identificaram dimensões consistentes dos sintomas. Este estudo foi delineado para observar quais dimensões dos sintomas obsessivo-compulsivos podem ser modificadas adicionando duas sessões individuais de entrevista motivacional e mapeamento cognitivo à terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo usando um ensaio clínico randomizado. MÉTODO: Quarenta pacientes ambulatoriais com diagnóstico primário de transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo foram alocados aleatoriamente para receber terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo (grupo controle) ou entrevista motivacional+mapeamento cognitivo+terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo. Para avaliar mudanças nas dimensões dos sintomas, foi administrada a Escala Dimensional para Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos de Yale-Brown antes do início e após o tratamento. RESULTADOS: Ao final do tratamento houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre a terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo e entrevista motivacional+mapeamento cognitivo+terapia cognitivocomportamental em grupo na média do escore total da Escala Dimensional para Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos de Yale-Brown e no escore da dimensão de contaminação e agressão. Colecionismo apresentou melhora com tendência estatística. CONCLUSÃO: Esses achados sugerem que acrescentar entrevista motivacional+mapeamento cognitivo à terapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo pode facilitar mudanças na redução dos escores nas diferentes dimensões dos sintomas, como indicado pela Escala Dimensional para Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos de Yale-Brown. No entanto, são necessários estudos adicionais para confirmar estes resultados.

Alcohol use disorders in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: the importance of appropriate dual-diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical associated factors of alcohol use disorders (AUD) comorbidity in a large clinical sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 630 DSM-IV OCD patients from seven Brazilian university services, comparing patients with and without AUD comorbidity. The instruments of assessment used were a demographic and clinical questionnaire including evaluation of suicidal thoughts and acts and psychiatric treatment, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I), the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale, the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories and the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Current or past alcohol and other psychoactive substances use, abuse and dependence were assessed using the SCID-I (section E) and corroborated by medical and familial history questionnaires. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients (7.5%) presented AUD comorbidity. Compared to OCD patients without this comorbidity they were more likely to be men, to have received previous psychiatric treatment, to present lifetime suicidal thoughts and attempts and to have higher scores in the hoarding dimension. They also presented higher comorbidity with generalized anxiety and somatization disorders, and compulsive sexual behavior. Substance use was related to the appearance of the first O.C. symptoms and symptom amelioration. CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon among OCD treatment seeking samples, AUD comorbidity has specific clinical features, such as increased risk for suicidality, which deserve special attention from mental health professionals. Future studies focused on the development of specific interventions for these patients are warranted.

A randomized clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral group therapy and sertraline in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) and serotonin reuptake inhibitors have proven efficacy in reducing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There is no consensus about which of these forms of treatment is more effective. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of CBGT as compared to that of sertraline in reducing OCD symptoms. METHOD: Fifty-six outpatients with an OCD diagnosis, according to DSM-IV criteria, participated in the randomized clinical trial: 28 took 100 mg/day of sertraline and 28 underwent CBGT for 12 weeks. Efficacy of treatments was rated according to the reduction in scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale. The trial was performed in 4 successive periods from March 2002 to December 2003. RESULTS: Both treatments were effective, although patients treated with CBGT obtained a mean YBOCS reduction of symptoms of 44%, while those treated with sertraline obtained only a 28% reduction (p = .033). Cognitive-behavioral group therapy was also significantly more effective in reducing the intensity of compulsions (p = .030). Further, 8 patients (32%) treated with CBGT presented a complete remission of OCD symptoms (YBOCS score < or = 8) as compared to only 1 patient (4%) among those who received sertraline (p = .023). CONCLUSION: Cognitive-behavioral group therapy and sertraline have shown to be effective in reducing OCD symptoms. Nevertheless, the rate of symptom reduction, intensity reduction of compulsions, and percentage of patients who obtained full remission were significantly higher in patients treated with CBGT.

P50 sensory gating in panic disorder.

Previous studies with prepulse inhibition in panic disorder (PD) have suggested that the early stages of sensory information processing are abnormal in patients with PD. To further investigate sensory gating function in panic disorder we performed a case-control study in a sample of 28 patients with PD, compared to 28 normal subjects and 28 schizophrenic subjects evaluating auditory mid-latency evoked potential P50 in a double-click paradigm as a measure of sensory gating. PD subjects showed weaker sensory gating as evidenced by higher P50 ratios as compared to normal subjects (62.5% vs. 45.4%, p=0.03) and higher S2 (test) amplitude (3.5 microV vs. 2.1 microV, p=0.01). Schizophrenic subjects when compared to healthy controls showed higher P50 ratios as compared to normal subjects (79.2% vs. 45.4%, p<0.01) and higher S2 amplitude (3.3 microV vs. 2.1 microV, p=0.01), but were not statistically different from PD subjects (p>0.1). The present study corroborates recent findings of sensory gating dysfunction in PD. Further studies are still necessary to better understand the pathophysiology of this neurophysiological dysfunction and its nature as a trait or a state marker.

Cognitive-behavioral group therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a clinical trial

Objective: To develop a cognitive-behavioral group therapy protocol and to verify its efficacy to reduce obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Methods: An open clinical trial with 32 obsessive-compulsive patients was performed, in which a cognitive-behavioral group therapy protocol of 12 weekly sessions of two hours, in 5 consecutive groups, was applied. The severity of symptoms was rated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive (Y-BOCS), Hamilton Anxiety (HAM A) and Hamilton Depression (HAM D) scales. The patients were followed up for 3 months after the end of the treatment. Results: There was a significant reduction in the scores of Y-BOCS, HAM A and HAM D scales with the treatment regardless the use of anti-obsessive medications. The rate of improved patients (decrease of > or = 35 percent in Y-BOCS) was 78.1 percent. Two patients (6.25 percent) dropped out from the study. The effect size calculated for the Y-BOCS scale was 1.75. Conclusions: This study suggests that cognitive-behavioral group therapy reduces obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In addition, patients presented good compliance

Principais efeitos colaterais das drogas antiobsessivas e seu manejo

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), clomipramine, and behavior therapy are the first line treatments for obsessive-compulsive (OCD) symptoms. One of the main reasons for treatment non-compliance and early discontinuation of medications by patients or premature change in prescriptions by clinicians are their side effects. Nausea, headache, insomnia, restlessness, sexual dysfunction, and tremors are common with SSRIs; hypotension, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, weight gain, sedation and cardiocirculatory problems, with clomipramine. The strategies and guidelines for these drugs' side effects management are here reviewed, based mainly in case reports and clinical experience. The clinician should be aware of the importance of addressing this issue, educating patients about the most frequent adverse reactions, and how to deal with them in order to prevent unwanted medication discontinuation, and enhance compliance with the treatment