High prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with Sydenham's chorea

The Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health is seeking patients for a study of obsessive compulsive symptoms accompanying Sydenham's chorea. Eligible patients should have had recent (within 2 months) onset of Sydenham's chorea, continue to have choreic symptoms and be at least 6 years of age. This study will rate obsessive compulsive symptoms and link these symptoms to anti-CNS autoantibodies. Patients will be interviewed by phone or in person (out of town subjects will be asked to travel at our expense to the NIH in Bethesda). Brief follow-up interviews will be conducted every 2 months for one year. Serum samples (5 cc) will be obtained on four separate occasions. There will be no expense to the patient and no remuneration. Please call (301) 496-6081 or write: Dr Susan E. Swedo or Dr Judith L. Rapoport; Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH, Bldg 10, Room 6N240, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892.

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Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adults with history of rheumatic fever, Sydenham's chorea and type I diabetes mellitus: preliminary results

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica ◽

10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00455.x ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 111 (2) ◽

pp. 159-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

F. R. Asbahr ◽

R. T. Ramos ◽

A. N. Costa ◽

R. B. Sassi

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Rheumatic Fever ◽

Type I Diabetes ◽

Type I Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type I ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

History Of ◽

Sydenham's Chorea

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Incidence of anti-brain antibodies in children with obsessive–compulsive disorder

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.187.4.314 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 187 (4) ◽

pp. 314-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Russell C. Dale ◽

Isobel Heyman ◽

Gavin Giovannoni ◽

Andrew J. Church

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Control Groups ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Western Immunoblotting ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Patient Cohort ◽

Sydenham’S Chorea ◽

Positive Antibody ◽

Sydenham's Chorea

BackgroundObsessions and compulsions may occur in the post-streptococcal disorders Sydenham's chorea and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus (PANDAS). The proposed mediators are anti-basal ganglia antibodies (ABGA)AimsWe tested the hypothesis that post-streptococcal autoimmunity may have a role in ‘idiopathic’ obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)MethodWe examined 50 children with OCD for ABGA using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western immunoblotting. The findings were compared with paediatric autoimmune (n=50), neurological (n=100) and streptococcal (n=40) controls.ResultsThe mean ABGA binding on ELISA was elevated in the patient cohort compared with all control groups (P<0.005 in all comparisons). Western immunoblotting revealed positive antibody binding (as seen in Sydenham's chorea) in 42% of the patient cohort compared with 2–10% of control groups (P<0.001 in all comparisons)ConclusionsOur findings support the hypothesis that central nervous system autoimmunity may have a role in a significant subgroup of cases of OCD. Further study is required to examine whether the antibodies concerned are pathogenic.

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