Early-life adversity and orbitofrontal and cerebellar volumes in
                        adults with obsessive–compulsive disorder: Voxel-based morphometry
                        study

BackgroundEarly-life adversity is a risk for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), but the impact at the neural level is less clear.AimsTo investigate the association between brain volumes and early-life adversity in individuals with a diagnosis of OCD only.MethodThe Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) was used to assess early-life adversity in 21 participants with OCD and 25 matched healthy controls. The relationship between global and regional brain volume and early-life adversity was measured using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). All data were corrected for multiple comparisons using family-wise error (FWE) at P<0.05.ResultsIn the OCD group, correlations with total CTQ scores were positively associated with a larger right orbitofrontal cortex volume. Physical neglect was higher in the OCD group than in controls and was positively associated with larger right cerebellum volume in the OCD group only.ConclusionsLarger brain volumes may reflect underlying developmental neuropathology in adults with OCD who also have experience of childhood trauma.

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The impact of childhood trauma on thalamic functional connectivity in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720004328 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Minyi Chu ◽

Tingting Xu ◽

Yi Wang ◽

Pei Wang ◽

Qiumeng Gu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Resting State ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Predisposing Factor ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Childhood trauma is a vulnerability factor for the development of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Empirical findings suggest that trauma-related alterations in brain networks, especially in thalamus-related regions, have been observed in OCD patients. However, the relationship between childhood trauma and thalamic connectivity in patients with OCD remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the impact of childhood trauma on thalamic functional connectivity in OCD patients. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging resting-state scans were acquired in 79 patients with OCD, including 22 patients with a high level of childhood trauma (OCD_HCT), 57 patients with a low level of childhood trauma (OCD_LCT) and 47 healthy controls. Seven thalamic subdivisions were chosen as regions of interest (ROIs) to examine the group difference in thalamic ROIs and whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). Results We found significantly decreased caudate-thalamic rsFC in OCD patients as a whole group and also in OCD_LCT patients, compared with healthy controls. However, OCD_HCT patients exhibited increased thalamic rsFC with the prefrontal cortex when compared with both OCD_LCT patients and healthy controls. Conclusions Taken together, OCD patients with high and low levels of childhood trauma exhibit different pathological alterations in thalamic rsFC, suggesting that childhood trauma may be a predisposing factor for some OCD patients.

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Childhood trauma experience and obsessive-compulsive disorder in Chinese population: A case control study

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72686-4 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 981-981 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Z. Wang ◽

X. Wang ◽

H. Xu ◽

H. Zhang ◽

Z. Xiao

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Emotional Abuse ◽

Sexual Trauma ◽

Short Form ◽

Self Report ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

General Physical ◽

The Impact

BackgroundChildhood trauma is known to predispose to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, mood, and substance use. However, the relationship between childhood trauma and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has not been well studied. The aim of the present study is to compare childhood trauma experience between OCD and controls, and explore its impact on symptoms of OCD.MethodsOne hundred eighty-five outpatients who met DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD and 132 gender- age- matched controls were included in this study. The Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF) was administered to all participants to evaluate 4 types (general, physical, emotional and sexual) of trauma and its severity. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to measure the severity of symptoms of OCD patients.ResultsOCD patients showed a significantly greater severity in all four types of trauma when compare with controls. 77% of OCD patients reported at least one type of childhood trauma experience, and 18% reported sexual trauma. Sexual trauma experience is significantly associated with obsessive but not compulsive symptoms of OCD patients. When compared to female OCD patients, male patients reported significantly higher scores on general trauma, physical abuse and emotional abuse; but lower of sexual abuse.ConclusionThe present study revealed the high prevalence of childhood trauma among OCD patients, which is consistent with evidence from previous studies suggesting that childhood trauma may play a role in the development of mental disorders. It may be important to consider the impact of childhood trauma in OCD clinical management.

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The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Thalamic Functional Connectivity in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3457384 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Minyi Chu ◽

Tingting Xu ◽

Yi Wang ◽

Pei Wang ◽

Qiumeng Gu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

The Impact

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Regional Gray Matter Abnormalities in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Yearbook of Psychiatry and Applied Mental Health ◽

10.1016/s0084-3970(08)70583-8 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2007 ◽

pp. 283

Author(s):

P.F. Buckley

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Voxel Based Morphometry ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

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Reducing the Social Stigma Associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Controlled Trial of an Intervention Program in a Turkish Community Sample

Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies ◽

10.24193/jebp.2020.2.14 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 101-120

Author(s):

Ayça Aktaç Gürbüz ◽

Orçun YORULMAZ ◽

Gülşah DURNA

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Community Sample ◽

Case Vignette ◽

Control Group ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Scientific research into the reduction of stigmatization, particularly related to specific problems such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is scarce. In the present study, we examine the impact of a video-based antistigma intervention program for OCD in a pretest-posttest control group research. After being randomly assigned to either an intervention (n= 101) or control group (n= 96), the participants reported their attitudes on a hypothetical case vignette before and after OCD vs. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) videos, and again six months later as a follow up assessment. The mixed design analyses for the group comparisons indicated that although there was no significant difference in the measures of the control group, the participants watching the anti-stigma OCD video, in which the focus was psychoeducation and interaction strategies, reported significantly lower scores on social distances and negative beliefs for the case vignettes they read, and this difference was maintained six months later. Then, the present results indicate the effectiveness of our anti-stigma intervention program for OCD. Interventions to reduce stigmatization can also be viewed as effective tools for changing the attitudes of people toward OCD, although further research and applications are needed related to specific disorders if a longlasting impact is to be achieved.

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Pupil with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Lifelong Learning ◽

10.11118/lifele201707027 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 7-25

Author(s):

Karolina Diallo

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

School Performance ◽

School Environment ◽

Detrimental Effect ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

The Past ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

Pupil with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Over the past twenty years childhood OCD has received more attention than any other anxiety disorder that occurs in the childhood. The increasing interest and research in this area have led to increasing number of diagnoses of OCD in children and adolescents, which affects both specialists and teachers. Depending on the severity of symptoms OCD has a detrimental effect upon child's school performance, which can lead almost to the impossibility to concentrate on school and associated duties. This article is devoted to the obsessive-compulsive disorder and its specifics in children, focusing on the impact of this disorder on behaviour, experience and performance of the child in the school environment. It mentions how important is the role of the teacher in whose class the pupil with this diagnosis is and it points out that it is necessary to increase teachers' competence to identify children with OCD symptoms, to take the disease into the account, to adapt the course of teaching and to introduce such measures that could help children reduce the anxiety and maintain (or increase) the school performance within and in accordance with the school regulations and curriculum.

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Experiences of Mental Distress during COVID-19: Thematic Analysis of Discussion Forum Posts for Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Illness Crisis & Loss ◽

10.1177/10541373211023951 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105413732110239

Author(s):

G. Brewer ◽

L. Centifanti ◽

J. Castro Caicedo ◽

G. Huxley ◽

C. Peddie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Discussion Forum ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Care Workers ◽

Positive Experiences ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

The Impact

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coronavirus patients, health care workers, and the general population is clear. Relatively few studies have, however, considered the impact of the pandemic on those with pre-existing mental health conditions. Therefore, the present study investigates the personal experiences of those with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder during COVID-19. We conducted a qualitative study utilising Reddit discussion forum posts. We conducted three separate thematic analyses from 130 posts in subreddit forums aimed for people identifying with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We identified a number of similar discussion forum themes (e.g., COVID-19 intensifying symptoms and a lack of social support), as well as themes that were unique to each forum type (e.g., hyperawareness and positive experiences during the pandemic). Findings should guide future practice and the support provided to those living with mental distress.

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Gray Matter Structural Alterations in Psychotropic Drug-Naive Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Optimized Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

American Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08010033 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 165 (10) ◽

pp. 1299-1307 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Philip R. Szeszko ◽

Christopher Christian ◽

Frank MacMaster ◽

Todd Lencz ◽

Yousha Mirza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Psychotropic Drug ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Voxel Based Morphometry ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Structural Alterations ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Drug Naïve

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How New Technologies Can Improve Prediction, Assessment, and Intervention in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e-OCD): Review

JMIR Mental Health ◽

10.2196/11643 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (12) ◽

pp. e11643 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Florian Ferreri ◽

Alexis Bourla ◽

Charles-Siegfried Peretti ◽

Tomoyuki Segawa ◽

Nemat Jaafari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

New Technologies ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Clinical Practices ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

The Impact

Background New technologies are set to profoundly change the way we understand and manage psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Developments in imaging and biomarkers, along with medical informatics, may well allow for better assessments and interventions in the future. Recent advances in the concept of digital phenotype, which involves using computerized measurement tools to capture the characteristics of a given psychiatric disorder, is one paradigmatic example. Objective The impact of new technologies on health professionals’ practice in OCD care remains to be determined. Recent developments could disrupt not just their clinical practices, but also their beliefs, ethics, and representations, even going so far as to question their professional culture. This study aimed to conduct an extensive review of new technologies in OCD. Methods We conducted the review by looking for titles in the PubMed database up to December 2017 that contained the following terms: [Obsessive] AND [Smartphone] OR [phone] OR [Internet] OR [Device] OR [Wearable] OR [Mobile] OR [Machine learning] OR [Artificial] OR [Biofeedback] OR [Neurofeedback] OR [Momentary] OR [Computerized] OR [Heart rate variability] OR [actigraphy] OR [actimetry] OR [digital] OR [virtual reality] OR [Tele] OR [video]. Results We analyzed 364 articles, of which 62 were included. Our review was divided into 3 parts: prediction, assessment (including diagnosis, screening, and monitoring), and intervention. Conclusions The review showed that the place of connected objects, machine learning, and remote monitoring has yet to be defined in OCD. Smartphone assessment apps and the Web Screening Questionnaire demonstrated good sensitivity and adequate specificity for detecting OCD symptoms when compared with a full-length structured clinical interview. The ecological momentary assessment procedure may also represent a worthy addition to the current suite of assessment tools. In the field of intervention, CBT supported by smartphone, internet, or computer may not be more effective than that delivered by a qualified practitioner, but it is easy to use, well accepted by patients, reproducible, and cost-effective. Finally, new technologies are enabling the development of new therapies, including biofeedback and virtual reality, which focus on the learning of coping skills. For them to be used, these tools must be properly explained and tailored to individual physician and patient profiles.

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