Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome

Introduction: Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Tourette's Disorder (TS), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Trichotillomania (TTM), which, supposedly, share common psychopathological, physiopathological and genetic aspects. To date, the relation of OCD and TS is the most established. Recent studies suggest that patients with OCD and TS have a better response to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI) plus neuroleptics than to SRI alone. Thus, the detection of patients with OCD and tics is important, once it can point to a different psychopharmacological approach. Similarly, the recognition of other psychiatric disorders associated to OCD could indicate important factors in treatment response. This study compares psychiatric comorbidity in patients with OCD and OCD plus TS, with the following hypotheses: 1) The group with both TS and OCD would be at significant risk for greater severity and frequency of associated disorders; 2) TTM would be more frequent in the OCD plus TS group, whereas BDD would be more frequent in the OCD group. Method: Twenty outpatients with OCD and twenty with OCD plus TS (DSM-III-R) were evaluated by the Standar Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R (SCID) and additional modules designed by the authors for the diagnosis of TS, Chronic Motor Tics, BDD, TTM and Attention Deficit Disorder. Results: 1) Within groups: In the OCD group, the most frequent diagnoses were:...