Pattern of long-term weight and metabolic changes after a first episode of psychosis: Results from a 10-year prospective follow-up of the PAFIP program for early intervention in psychosis cohort.

BACKGROUND: People with psychosis are at higher risk of cardiovascular events, partly explained by a higher predisposition to gain weight. This has been observed in studies on individuals with a first-episode psychosis (FEP) at short and long term (mainly up to 1 year) and transversally at longer term in people with chronic schizophrenia. However, there is scarcity of data regarding longer-term (above 3-year follow-up) weight progression in FEP from longitudinal studies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the longer-term (10 years) progression of weight changes and related metabolic disturbances in people with FEP. METHODS: Two hundred and nine people with FEP and 57 healthy participants (controls) were evaluated at study entry and prospectively at 10-year follow-up. Anthropometric, clinical, and sociodemographic data were collected. RESULTS: People with FEP presented a significant and rapid increase in mean body weight during the first year of treatment, followed by less pronounced but sustained weight gain over the study period (Δ15.2 kg; SD 12.3 kg). This early increment in weight predicted longer-term changes, which were significantly greater than in healthy controls (Δ2.9 kg; SD 7.3 kg). Weight gain correlated with alterations in lipid and glycemic variables, leading to clinical repercussion such as increments in the rates of obesity and metabolic disturbances. Sex differences were observed, with women presenting higher increments in body mass index than men. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that the first year after initiating antipsychotic treatment is the critical one for weight gain in psychosis. Besides, it provides evidence that weight gain keep progressing even in the longer term (10 years), causing relevant metabolic disturbances.

Therapeutic drug monitoring is useful when pharmacogenetic assessment is unavailable: case report of delusional disorder / La monitorización terapéutica de fármacos es útil cuando la evaluación farmacogenética no está disponible: caso clínico de trastorno delirante

Antipsychotic plasma levels have been extensively used in the assessment of poor treatment response, lack of adherence and adverse events in delusional disorder. It has not been used as an indicator of metabolizer status, to determine whether a delusional disorder patient is a poor, intermediate, or ultra-rapid metabolizer of antipsychotics. Pharmacogenetic probes are, of course, the right method for the latter task, but they are not readily available for clinical use. We report the case of a 46-year-old woman with delusional disorder who developed unexpected adverse effects to treatment with relatively low dose risperidone and poor symptomatic response. Blood level monitoring indicated high levels of risperidone and a high concentration-to-dose ratio, which suggested accumulation of unmetabolized risperidone. Paradoxically, extrapyramidal side effects increased when, after reducing the risperidone dose, 5 mg/day of aripiprazole was added. Consequently, the patient was switched to olanzapine 5 mg/day. Sertraline 150 mg/day was later added for comorbid depression. A complete symptomatic response was achieved. Although other factors may well have been at play, this sequence of events suggests that the patient was a slow metabolizer of CYP2D6, which metabolizes both risperidone and aripiprazole. With pharmacogenetic assessment not available, therapeutic drug monitoring helped clinicians decide on appropriate management

Los niveles plasmáticos de antipsicóticos han sido extensamente utilizados para la evaluación de la pobre respuesta terapéutica, la falta de adherencia y los eventos adversos en pacientes con trastorno delirante. No han sido frecuentemente utilizados como indicadores del estado metabólico, para determinar si un paciente con trastorno delirante es metabolizador pobre, intermedio o metabolizador ultra-rápido de antipsicóticos. Los test de farmacogenética son, por supuesto, el método más idóneo para la última tarea, pero no son fáciles de obtener para su uso clínico. Reportamos el caso de una mujer de 46 años de edad con trastorno delirante que ha desarrollado efectos adversos inesperados con el tratamiento a dosis bajas de risperidona, y una pobre respuesta clínica. La monitorización de niveles plasmáticos indicó niveles elevados de risperidona y una ratio elevada concentración-dosis, que sugirió acumulación de risperidona no adecuadamente metabolizada. Paradójicamente, los efectos secundarios se incrementaron, cuando al reducir la dosis de risperidona, se añadió aripiprazol 5mg/día. Por ello, se realizó un cambio a olanzapina 5 mg/día. Se añadió sertralina 150 mg/día posteriormente para el tratamiento de síntomas depresivos comórbidos. Se alcanzó una respuesta clínica completa. A pesar de que otros factores pudieran haber contribuido a ello, la secuencia de eventos sugiere que la paciente pudiera ser metabolizadora lenta del CYP2D6, que metaboliza risperidona y aripiprazol. En caso de no disponibilidad de tests farmacogenéticos, la monitorización de niveles plasmáticos, ayudó a los clínicos a decidir el manejo apropiado del paciente

The role of personality dimensions, depressive symptoms and other psychosocial variables in predicting postpartum suicidal ideation: a cohort study.

Suicidability has been associated with neuroticism and psychoticism, but its role during perinatal period has not been analyzed. We explore the association between personality dimensions, depressive symptoms, and other psychosocial variables in postpartum suicidal ideation. A cohort of 1795 healthy Spanish women from the general population was assessed for suicidal ideation (EPDS-Item10) in early postpartum, 8 and 32 weeks postpartum. Sociodemographic, obstetric, and reproductive variables, psychiatric history, social support, stressful life-events during pregnancy, depressive symptoms (EPDS), and the Eysenck's personality dimensions (EPQ-RS) were also assessed at baseline. A major depressive episode (DSM-IV) was confirmed in women with EPDS>10 at follow-up assessments. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted. Adjusted logistic regression analysis was reported as odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Seven percent of mothers reported suicidal ideation during the first 8 months postpartum. Sixty-two percent of women with suicidal ideation had a major depressive episode at 8 weeks, and 70% at 32 weeks postpartum. Neuroticism and psychoticism predicted suicidal ideation throughout the first 2 weeks after delivery (OR, 1.03; 95%CI 1.01-1.06; and OR, 1.03; 95%CI 1.01-1.05 respectively). Early postpartum depressive symptoms (OR 1.2; 95%CI 1.11-1.26), personal psychiatric history (OR 2.1; 95%CI 1.33-3.27), and stressful life events during pregnancy (OR 1.88; 95%CI 1.12-3.16) also emerged as predictors of postpartum suicidal ideation. Analysis of women for postpartum suicidal ideation should include not only psychiatric symptoms but also psychosocial assessment (i.e., covering psychiatric history, stressful events, or long-standing personality vulnerabilities) in order to identify those in need of early psychosocial or psychiatric care.

The relationship between the level of exposure to stress factors and cannabis in recent onset psychosis.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies investigating the dose-response effect of childhood trauma, recent events and cannabis use on recent psychosis. This study aims to determine the relationship between the level of exposure to stress factors and cannabis use with psychosis and to determine the combination effect among these factors in predicting a psychotic disorder. METHODS: 146 recent onset psychotic (ROP) patients and 61 healthy controls were included. Childhood trauma was evaluated using the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and recent events using the Holmes-Rahe social readjustment scale. The pattern of cannabis use was assessed by a detailed interview. A hierarchical multiple regression was run in order to determine both the cumulative and independent contribution of each factor in predicting a psychotic disorder. RESULTS: The highest levels of exposure to childhood trauma and cannabis were associated with psychosis while neither low nor high recent event exposure was associated. The combined effect of risk factors yielded a significant association with psychosis (×2 = 86.76, p < .001) explaining the 49% of its variation. ROP were more likely to be exposed to one, two or three environmental factors than HC. Exposed to two or all factors were 7.5-fold and 26.7-fold more likely to have a diagnosis of psychosis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence for a cumulative and a dose-response effect of environmental factors on recent psychosis. Considering that cannabis use and stress are highly prevalent in the population with psychosis, investigations of their relationships are needed to implement targeted prevention and treatment strategies.

Free thyroxine levels are associated with cognitive changes in individuals with a first episode of psychosis: A prospective 1-year follow-up study.

The results of previous cross-sectional studies suggest that free thyroxine (FT4) levels are associated with cognitive abilities (particularly attention/vigilance) during the early stages of psychosis. We aimed to explore whether hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid hormones predict cognitive changes in a 1-year longitudinal study following first episodes of psychosis (FEP). We studied 36 FEP patients and a control group of 50 healthy subjects (HS). Plasma levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and FT4 were measured. Cognitive assessment was performed with the MATRICS Cognitive Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). FEP patients were assessed twice (baseline and after 1year), whereas HS were assessed only once. We compared cognitive changes at 1year between three groups based on baseline FT4 levels: 1) lowest quartile (Q1, FT4<1.16ng/dL); 2) medium quartiles (Q2-Q3, FT4 1.16-1.54ng/dL); and 3) highest quartile (Q4, FT4>1.54ng/dL). No differences in TSH or FT4 levels were found between HS and FEP patients. All participants had FT4 levels within the normal range. HS outperformed FEP patients in all cognitive tasks. In relation to the relationship between FT4 levels and cognitive changes, a U-shaped pattern was observed: FEP patients from the middle quartiles (Q2-Q3) improved in attention/vigilance, whereas both extreme quartiles (Q1 and Q4) showed a worsening in this cognitive domain over time. Patients with lower FT4 (Q1) showed poorer baseline attention; therefore, lower baseline FT4 levels predicted a poorer prognosis in terms of attention performance. Our study suggests that baseline FT4 levels are associated with changes in attention and vigilance performance over one year in FEP patients.

Brain structural correlates of obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without preceding stressful life events.

Objectives There is growing evidence supporting a role for stressful life events (SLEs) at obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) onset, but neurobiological correlates of such effect are not known. We evaluated regional grey matter (GM) changes associated with the presence/absence of SLEs at OCD onset. Methods One hundred and twenty-four OCD patients and 112 healthy controls were recruited. Patients were split into two groups according to the presence (n = 56) or absence (n = 68) of SLEs at disorder's onset. A structural magnetic resonance image was acquired for each participant and pre-processed with Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM8) to obtain a volume-modulated GM map. Between-group differences in sociodemographic, clinical and whole-brain regional GM volumes were assessed. Results SLEs were associated with female sex, later age at disorder's onset, more contamination/cleaning and less hoarding symptoms. In comparison with controls, patients without SLEs showed GM volume increases in bilateral dorsal putamen and the central tegmental tract of the brainstem. By contrast, patients with SLEs showed specific GM volume increases in the right anterior cerebellum. Conclusions Our findings support the idea that neuroanatomical alterations of OCD patients partially depend on the presence of SLEs at disorder's onset.

Coping strategies and postpartum depressive symptoms: A structural equation modelling approach.

BACKGROUND: Variables such as the mother's personality, social support, coping strategies and stressful events have been described as risk factors for postpartum depression. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis was used to examine whether neuroticism, perceived social support, perceived life events, and coping strategies are associated with postpartum depressive symptoms at the 8th and 32nd weeks. METHODS: A total of 1626 pregnant women participated in a longitudinal study. Different evaluations were performed 8 and 32weeks after delivery. Several measures were used: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RS), the St. Paul Ramsey life events scale and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire. The brief COPE scale was used to measure coping strategies. SEM analysis was conducted for all women and in those women with a clinical diagnosis of postpartum depression. RESULTS: Passive coping strategies were associated with postpartum depressive symptoms at both visits (8th and 32nd weeks). Neuroticism was associated with more passive coping strategies and less active coping strategies. Neuroticism and life stress were positively correlated, and social support was negatively correlated with life stress and neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS: Early identification of potential risk for symptomatology of depression postpartum should include assessment of neuroticism, life events, social support and coping strategies.

Higher psychoticism as a predictor of thoughts of harming one's infant in postpartum women: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Some women experience thoughts of harming their infants during the early postpartum period. These intrusive thoughts are conceptually similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder. The aim of our study was to assess whether personality characteristics may predict a mother's development of postpartum thoughts of harming her infant. METHODS: We studied 137 women with no psychiatric history. They were assessed at two different times during the postpartum period (2-3days after giving birth and during the 8th week following delivery). We assessed postpartum thoughts of harming one's infant with a semi-structured interview conducted in person. Personality characteristics were assessed with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Depression was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and with a structured interview (Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies). We also assessed socio-demographic variables, obstetric variables and stressful life events. Adjusting for age, depression and stressful life events, logistic regression was conducted to explore the relationship between a woman's personality characteristics and postpartum thoughts of harming her infant. RESULTS: Women with postpartum thoughts of harming their infants scored higher in EPQ-Psychoticism (P=0.003) but not in neuroticism or extraversion. EPQ-Psychoticism was significantly associated with the presence of postpartum intrusive thoughts (OR=1.67, p=0.003) after adjusting for other personality dimensions, age, depression and life stress. Those women scoring 5 or higher in EPQ-Psychoticism were 5.5 times more likely to report postpartum intrusive thoughts (p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In healthy women without psychiatric history, psychoticism is a predictor of postpartum thoughts of harming their infants.

Interaction of SLC1A1 gene variants and life stress on pharmacological resistance in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Genetic and environmental factors seem to interact and influence both the onset and the course of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but the role of glutamate transporter variants (SLC1A1) in pharmacological resistance is not known. We aimed to assess whether genetic variants in SLC1A1 and life stress at onset of the disorder interact and modulate pharmacological resistance in OCD. A single-marker association study of several single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the SLC1A1 genomic region was performed in a sample of 238 OCD patients. For the most strongly associated SNP (rs3087879), one copy of the risk allele increased the probability of higher treatment resistance (odds ratio=2.42; 95% confidence interval=1.39-4.21; P=0.0018), but only in OCD patients without life stress at onset of the disorder. These results suggest a gene-by-environment interaction effect on treatment resistance in OCD and strengthen the existing evidence of the role of the glutamatergic system in the phenomenology of OCD.

Variants in estrogen receptor alpha gene are associated with phenotypical expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Compelling data from animal and clinical studies suggest that sex steroids may play a role in the etiopathology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether variants in estrogen receptor genes ESR1 and ESR2 may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to OCD, through a case-control association study using an extensive linkage disequilibrium-mapping approach. Twenty tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) covering the ESR2 region and nine tagSNPS from regions of ESR1 reported to be related to transcriptional control were genotyped in 229 OCD patients and 279 controls. SNP association and haplotype analysis were performed. The association of these genes and OCD subphenotypes was tested, considering early-onset OCD, comorbid tic and affective disorders, and OCD symptom dimensions. No significant difference in the distribution of alleles or genotypes was detected between controls and OCD subjects. Nevertheless, on analyzing OCD subphenotypes, SNP rs34535804 in ESR1 and a five SNPs haplotype, located at the 5' end of intron 1 of ESR1, were associated with the presence of contamination obsessions and cleaning compulsions. Specifically, carriers of the ACCCG haplotype, a combination of functional alleles related to higher ER alpha expression, showed a reduced risk of suffering from these symptoms. Our results suggest that the ESR1 gene may contribute to the genetic vulnerability to certain OCD manifestations. The dissection of OCD into more homogeneous subphenotypes may well help to identify susceptibility genes for the disorder.

Memory and strategic processing in first-degree relatives of obsessive compulsive patients.

BACKGROUND: The same executive dysfunctions and alterations in neuroimaging tests (both functional and structural) have been found in obsessive-compulsive patients and their first-degree relatives. These neurobiological findings are considered to be intermediate markers of the disease. The aim of our study was to assess verbal and non-verbal memory in unaffected first-degree relatives, in order to determine whether these neuropsychological functions constitute a new cognitive marker for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: Recall and use of organizational strategies in verbal and non-verbal memory tasks were measured in 25 obsessive-compulsive patients, 25 unaffected first-degree relatives and 25 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: First-degree relatives and healthy volunteers did not show differences on most measures of verbal memory. However, during the recall and processing of non-verbal information, deficits were found in first-degree relatives and patients compared with healthy volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of the same deficits in the execution of non-verbal memory tasks in OCD patients and unaffected first-degree relatives suggests the influence of certain genetic and/or familial factors on this cognitive function in OCD and supports the hypothesis that deficits in non-verbal memory tasks could be considered as cognitive markers of the disorder.

Suicide in patients treated for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a prospective follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: To describe the occurrence of persistent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a sample of obsessive-compulsive patients followed-up prospectively during 1 to 6years, and to determine the existence of predictors of suicide behavior. METHOD: Two hundred and eighteen outpatients with DSM-IV OCD, recruited from a specialized OCD Unit in Barcelona, Spain, between February 1998 and December 2007, were included in the study. Suicide ideation was assessed by item 3 of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Suicide attempts were evaluated by the Beck Suicide Intent Scale. Patients with and without persistent suicidal thoughts and suicide attempters and non-attempters were compared on sociodemographic and clinical variables. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate potential predictors of suicide. RESULTS: Patients completed a mean follow-up period of treatment of 4.1years (SD: 1.7; range: 1-6years). During this period, eighteen patients (8.2%) reported persistent suicidal ideation, two patients (0.91%) committed suicide and 11 (5.0%) attempted suicide. Being unmarried, presenting higher basal scores in the HDRS, current or previous history of affective disorders and symmetry/ordering obsessions were independently associated with suicidal behaviors. LIMITATIONS: Patients were recruited from a specialized OCD clinic and received exhaustive treatment. Influence of variables including social support, life events, hopelessness and substance abuse/dependence was not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Suicide behavior is not a highly common phenomenon in OCD, but it should not be disregarded, especially in unmarried patients, with comorbid depression and symmetry/ordering obsessions and compulsions, who appear to be at a greater risk for suicide acts.

Symptoms of depression but not anxiety are associated with central obesity and cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes: the Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the study was to identify risk factors for depression and anxiety in a well-characterised cohort of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: We used baseline data from participants (n = 1,066, 48.7% women, aged 67.9 +/- 4.2 years) from the Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Obesity was characterised according to both overall (body mass index, fat mass) and abdominal (waist circumference) measurements. Cardiovascular disease was assessed by questionnaire, physical examination and review of medical records. Stepwise multiple linear regression was performed to identify explanatory variables related to either anxiety or depression HADS scores. RESULTS: Abdominal obesity (waist circumference) and cardiovascular disease (ischaemic heart disease and ankle-brachial pressure index) were related to depression but not anxiety. Lifetime history of severe hypoglycaemia was associated with anxiety. Other cardiovascular risk factors or microvascular complications were not related to either anxiety or depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Depression but not anxiety is associated with abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This knowledge may help to identify depressive symptoms among patients with type 2 diabetes who are at greatest risk.

Comorbidity in pathological gambling: clinical variables, personality and treatment response.

INTRODUCTION: Pathological gambling shows high comorbidity rates, especially with substance use disorders, although affective, anxiety and other impulse control disorders, as well as personality disorders, are also frequently associated. OBJECTIVES: To explore comorbidity in pathological gambling with other mental disorders in a consecutive sample of patients attending a unit specialized in pathological gambling, and specifically the relationship between substance-related disorders, on the one hand, and personality and clinical variables in pathological gamblers, on the other. METHOD: A total of 498 patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of Pathological Gambling (11.8% women) were assessed with a semi-structured clinical interview and several clinical and personality scales. RESULTS: Higher comorbidity with affective disorders was found in women (30.5%), while higher comorbidity with substance-related disorders was found in men (11.2%). A positive association was also detected between a history of psychiatric disorders and current comorbidity with substance-use disorders, as well as between alcohol abuse and age. Finally, some personality traits such as low reward dependence (OR=0.964) and high impulsivity (OR=1.02) predicted other substance abuse (not alcohol). High selftranscendence scores predicted both alcohol and other substance abuse (OR=1.06). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a high prevalence of comorbid disorders in pathologic gambling, mainly with affective and substance-related disorders. The results of the present study, conducted in a broad sample of consecutively admitted pathologic gamblers, may contribute to understanding of this complex disorder and treatment improvement.

Genetic susceptibility to obsessive-compulsive hoarding: the contribution of neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 3 gene.

Recent work suggests that neurotrophic factors may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Among other clinical dimensions, the presence of hoarding obsessions and compulsions has been shown to be correlated with a number of clinical and neuroimaging findings, as well as with a different pattern of genetic inheritance. We used a linkage disequilibrium (LD)-mapping approach to investigate whether neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 3 (NTRK3), the high-affinity receptor of neurotrophin 3 (NT-3), plays a role in increasing susceptibility to hoarding in OCD. We performed an association study of 52 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) covering the whole NTRK3 gene in a sample comprising 120 OCD patients and 342 controls. Single nucleotide polymorphism association and haplotype analysis were performed. Thirty-six of our patients (30%) exhibited significant hoarding obsessions and compulsions. A significant association of two SNPs in the 3' downstream region of NTRK3 gene and obsessive-compulsive hoarding was identified: rs1017412 [odds ratio (OR) = 2.16; P = 0.001] and rs7176429 (OR = 2.78; P = 0.0001), although only the latter remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Although the haplotype analysis did not show significant results, a more extended block of LD in the OCD hoarders with respect to the control group was observed, suggesting a lower haplotype diversity in these individuals. Our findings suggest that NTRK3 may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to hoarding in OCD and may constitute an interesting gene to focus on in studies of the genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive hoarding.

Estudio comparativo de los patrones de temperamento y carácter en una muestra de pacientes con trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo frente a controles sanos / Comparative study of patterns of temperament and character in a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder versus healthy controls

INTRODUCCIÖN: El objetivo de nuestro estudio es conocer los patrones de temperamento y carácter de una muestra de pacientes con trastorno obsesivocompulsivo (TOC), y las diferencias respecto a una muestra de controles sanos, además de establecer relaciones de las diversas dimensiones de personalidad con variables clínicas. MATERIAL MÉTODOS: Se ha evaluado una muestra de 48 pacientes con TOC según criterios DSM-IV y 100 controles sanos, con diferencias en la edad, controlada mediante un análisis de covarianza. Todos los pacientes realizaron el Inventario de Temperamento y Carácter de Cloninger (TCI) y los pacientes con TOC la escala de Yale-Brown para Obsesiones y Compulsiones. RESULTADOS: Los pacientes con TOC presentan puntuaciones elevadas en la dimensión evitación del daño y bajas en búsqueda de sensaciones, dependencia de recompensa, autodirección y cooperación estadísticamente significativas respecto a los controles sanos. Se han hallado correlaciones significativas entre la evitación del daño y el tiempo de evolución del TOC (r = -0,5; p = 0,001), y entre la gravedad de la clínica obsesiva valorada con la -BOCS, la evitación del daño (r = 0,33; p = 0,02) y la búsqueda de sensaciones (r = -0,48; p = 0,001). CONCLUSIONES: Al comparar los resultados de nuestro estudio con otros previos, se puede concluir que existe una cierta estabilidad en las diferencias de los patrones de temperamento y carácter de los pacientes con TOC respecto a controles sanos. Además de la relación de algunas dimensiones con variables clínicas como la gravedad de la sintomatología obsesiva o el tiempo de evolución del trastorno. (AU)