Tricotilomania (TTM) é um transtorno prevalente e incapacitante caracterizado pelo repetitivo arrancar de cabelo, sendo, atualmente, classificada no grupo dos transtornos relacionados ao transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo (APA, 2013). Diversos estudos foram apresentados na literatura clínica, sugerindo que a TTM é mais comum do que se acreditava e várias propostas de tratamento foram apresentadas. As pesquisas do comportamento em pacientes com TTM têm focalizado seus fatores mantenedores. Entretanto, devemos considerar o potencial papel das cognições que podem operar junto com variáveis de comportamento, na etiologia e manutenção da TTM. Exceto por três estudos controlados para Terapia de Reversão de Hábito, até o momento, não foram publicados estudos controlados sobre o uso de Terapia Cognitivo-comportamental (TCC) em TTM; apenas relatos e séries de casos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo testar um programa manualizado de TCC em Grupo (TCC-G) para portadores de TTM, diagnosticados de acordo com o Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Doenças Mentais - 4ª Edição (DSM-IV). Os pacientes com TTM foram alocados aleatoriamente em um dos dois grupos, sendo que um grupo experimental (n=22) participou de TCC-G e o outro grupo controle (n=22) participou de Terapia de Apoio em Grupo (TA-G). Durante o estudo, os participantes do grupo experimental participaram de vinte e duas sessões de um programa de TCC-G manualizado. A principal variável de desfecho foi a Massachusetts General Hospital Hair Pulling Scale (MGH-HPS), as demais variáveis secundárias de desfecho foram: Inventário de Depressão de Beck (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI), Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck (Beck Anxiety Inventory - BAI), Escala Adequação Social (EAS) e Escala de Impressão Clínica Global (CGI). Os grupos experimental e controle foram comparados em três momentos: na triagem, no início e no final das intervenções, utilizando-se análise de variância (ANOVA) para medidas repetidas. Ambos os grupos apresentaram melhora significativa dos sintomas de TTM e depressão ao longo do tratamento (p < 0,001). Sintomas ansiosos e ajustamento social não apresentaram variação significativa. O grupo experimental mostrou uma redução significativamente maior dos sintomas de TTM em comparação com o grupo controle (p=0,038) ao fim do tratamento. Conclui-se que a TCC-G é um método válido para o tratamento da TTM. Revisões futuras e ampliações deste modelo devem ser realizadas para que esse possa abarcar de forma mais eficaz a sintomatologia concorrente, em especial, ansiedade, e o ajustamento social / Trichotillomania (TTM) is a prevalent, disabling disorder, characterized by repetitive hair pulling, which is now included in the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders chapter of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition, DSM-V). There is now evidence that TTM is more common than previously believed, and various treatments have been proposed. Behavioral studies in TTM patients have focused on their maintaining factors. However, it is possible that variables related to cognition, as well as those related to behavior, play a role in etiology and maintenance of TTM. With the exception of three studies of habit reversal therapy, there have been no controlled studies of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in TTM. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of manual-based group CBT (GCBT), in comparison with that of supportive group therapy (SGT), in 44 patients diagnosed with TTM according to DSM-IV criteria. Patients were randomly allocated to receive 22 sessions of manual-based GCBT (n=22) or SGT (n=22). The main outcome variable was the Massachusetts General Hospital - Hairpulling Scale score. Secondary outcome variables were the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory scores, as well as the Social Adjustment Scale-Self-Report score and the Clinical Global Impression score. Using analysis of variance for repeated measures, we compared the two groups at three time points: at the initial screening; at treatment initiation; and at the end of treatment. After treatment, both groups showed significant improvement in symptoms of TTM and depression (p < 0.001), although there were no significant differences in terms of social adjustment or symptoms of anxiety. The improvement in TTM symptoms was more pronounced in the GCBT group than in the SGT group (p=0.038). We conclude that GCBT is a valid method for the treatment of TTM. However, the GCBT treatment model should be revised and expanded in order to treat TTM comorbidities, especially anxiety and social dysfunction, more effectively

Estudos de variações genéticas raras têm caracterizado com sucesso regiões do genoma e processos biológicos envolvidos no risco de desenvolver transtornos psiquiátricos. Dentro deste contexto, o sequenciamento de nucleotídeos em larga escala de exons do genoma inteiro para a observação de variações raras, conhecidas em inglês como single-nucleotide variation (SNV), e mutações espontâneas (\"de novo\" - DNM) tornou-se uma abordagem essencial na descoberta de novos genes de risco para transtornos psiquiátricos. Até o presente momento, nenhum estudo de SNV e variações de novo com sequenciamento de todas as regiões codificantes foi relatado no transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo (TOC). No presente estudo, este sequenciamento foi feito em 20 casos esporádicos de TOC e seus pais, para investigar a presença de variações raras de novo e herdadas nos probandos. A partir da observação de que os produtos de genes (proteínas) associados a uma mesma doença interagem em uma rede de interação proteína-proteína (IPP), foi feita uma rede de IPP com os genes (proteína) que apresentaram variações de novo não sinônimas, para observar dentre estes genes o de maior importância na rede de IPP. A fim de investigar a relevância desta rede, foi aplicado um algoritmo de grau informativo para redes, baseado na priorização de genes relacionados com doenças (Degree-Aware Algorithms for Network-Based Disease Gene Prioritization - DADA) que ordenou os genes com variações de novo não sinônimas, embasado na associação destes com uma lista de genes envolvidos em conferir risco para TOC provenientes de uma meta-análise de genética em TOC. Além disso, foi feita uma análise de processos biológicos envolvidos com os genes que apresentavam variações raras herdadas. No total, 10 variações de novo não sinônimas (9 missense e 1 nonsense) foram validadas utilizando-se o sequenciamento Sanger. Os genes WWP1, AP1G1 e CR1, advindos da lista inicial de genes com variações não sinônimas, foram altamente conectados na rede de IPP. O gene WWP1 foi o gene com maior pontuação no ranking de resultados do algoritmo DADA. Os resultados de processos biológicos envolvendo estes genes sugerem o envolvimento do sistema imunológico em TOC. Além disso, todos os genes com variações de novo não sinônimas, exceto um, são genes com expressão no cérebro e envolvidos com sinaptogênese e morte neuronal / Studies of rare variations have been used successfully to characterize regions of the genome and molecular pathways conferring risk for developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Within this context, whole-exome sequencing for rare single-nucleotide variation (SNV) and de novo mutation (DNM) mutation has become an essential approach for gene discovery in psychiatric disease. To date, few if any studies of SNVs and de novo variation using this technology have been reported for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In the present study, all coding regions of the genome were sequenced for 20 sporadic probands with OCD and their parents, to investigate de novo and inherited rare variations in probands. Subsequently, based on the observation that the products of genes associated with similar diseases are likely to interact with each other heavily in a network of proteinprotein interactions (PPIs), a PPI network was generated, with the genes (protein) with non-synonymous de novo variation, to observe the most important genes in the network. To investigate the relevance of this network to OCD further, degree-aware disease gene prioritization (DADA) was applied, to rank all genes with non-synonymous de novo variation based on their relatedness to a set of genes previously identified in an OCD genetics meta-analysis. In addition, pathway analyses using de novo and inherited variation were completed. Altogether, 10 non-synonymous de novo variations (9 missense, 1 nonsense) were successfully validated by Sanger sequencing. We found that the genes WWP1, AP1G1 and CR1, from the initial non-synonymous de novo variation gene list, were highly interconnected in the PPI. The WWP1 gene had the highest rank in the DADA analyses. Results of the pathway analyses suggest the enrichment of genes involved in immunological systems. In short, almost all genes involved in the DNMs of the present study are expressed in the human brain and implicated in synaptogenesis and neuronal apoptosis

Introdução: O Transtorno Obsessivo-Compulsivo (TOC) é reconhecido como um transtorno heterogêneo. Esta heterogeneidade dificulta a interpretação dos resultados dos estudos. A descrição de grupos de pacientes mais homogêneos pode facilitar a identificação desta busca, já que pode identificar fenótipos que sejam hereditários e válidos do ponto de vista genético. A abordagem categorial e dimensional são estratégias reconhecidas para a identificação de subgrupos mais homogêneos de pacientes. Dentro da abordagem categorial, o subgrupo de pacientes com início precoce dos sintomas obsessivo-compulsivo (SOC), e o subgrupo de TOC associado a transtorno de tiques apresentam características clínicas semelhantes, com evidências de sobreposição destas características entre os dois grupos. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: investigar características demográficas e clínicas dos pacientes com TOC de início precoce (GP) e TOC de início tardio (GT); e pesquisar características demográficas e clínicas dos pacientes com TOC de início precoce (GP) com tiques e pacientes com TOC de início precoce (GP) sem tiques. Metodologia: Trezentos e trinta pacientes com diagnóstico de TOC de acordo com o DSM-IV foram avaliados diretamente com os seguintes instrumentos: Entrevista Clínica Estruturada para o DSM-IV - Transtornos do Eixo I; Escala Yale-Brown de Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos - Y-BOCS; Escala Dimensional para Avaliação de Presença e Gravidade de Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos DY-BOCS; Escala de Avaliação Global de Tiques desenvolvida pelo Yale Child Study Center - YGTSS. Foi considerado TOC de início precoce se os sintomas dos pacientes tiveram início até os 10 anos de idade (160 pacientes). Os pacientes com início de sintomas entre 11 e 17 anos (95 pacientes) foram denominados grupo intermediário, enquanto aqueles após os 17 anos foram chamados grupo de início tardio (75 pacientes). Resultados: os pacientes do GP se diferenciaram dos pacientes do GT por apresentar maior freqüência do sexo masculino; maior freqüência de história familiar de SOC em familiares de primeiro grau; maiores escores da escala Y-BOCS para compulsões e Y-BOCS total; maior chance de ter obsessões de contaminação; maior chance de ter compulsões de repetição, colecionismo, diversas e compulsões do tipo tic-like; menor chance de ter compulsões de contagem; maior chance de apresentar sintomas da dimensão de \"colecionismo\"; maior gravidade nas dimensões de \"agressão/violência\", \"diversas\" e escore global da escala DY-BOCS; maior número médio de comorbidades; maior probabilidade de ocorrência de transtorno de ansiedade de separação, fobia social, transtorno dismórfico corporal e transtorno de tiques; menor chance de apresentar transtorno de estress pós-traumático; e maior chance de ter redução de 35% dos sintomas na escala Y-BOCS. O GP com tiques se diferenciou do GP sem tiques por apresentar maior prevalência de fenômenos sensoriais; menor chance e menor gravidade de ter a dimensão de \"contaminação/limpeza\" e menor gravidade no escore global da escala DY-BOCS; menor chance de apresentar transtorno de humor, transtorno unipolar, transtornos ansiosos, fobia social e skin picking, e maior a chance de apresentar diminuição de 35% dos sintomas na escala Y-BOCS. Os resultados sugeriram que as diferenças encontradas entre os grupos precoce, intermediário e tardio foram devidas à própria idade de início, e outras diferenças foram devidas à presença de tiques. / Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is recognized as a heterogeneous condition. This heterogeneity obscures the interpretation of the results of the studies. The description of more homogeneous groups of patients can facilitate the identification of this search, since it can identify phenotypes that are hereditary and valid to the genetic point of view. Categorical and dimensional approaches are recognized strategies for the identification of more homogeneous subgroups of patients. Regarding the categorical approach, the subgroup of patients with early age at onset of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and the tic-related-OCD subgroup present similar clinical characteristics, with evidences of an overlap of these characteristics between the two groups. The aims of this study were: to investigate clinical and demographic characteristics of the early age at onset subgroup (EO), compared to the late onset subgroup (LO); and to investigate demographic and clinical characteristics of early age at onset OCD patients, with and without comorbid tic disorders. Methodology: Three hundred and thirty patients with the diagnosis of OCD according to the DSM-IV were directly assessed with the following instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-patient edition - SCID-I/P; Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Y-BOCS; Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - DY-BOCS and Yale Global Tics Severity Scale - YGTSS. We considered early age at onset when OCS began before the age of 10 (160 patients). Patients with age at onset between 11 and 17 years old were termed intermediate group (95 patients), whereas those with age at onset after 17 years old were designated as late onset OCD (75 patients). Results: EO patients differed from LO patients in terms of presenting higher frequency of the male gender; higher frequency of a family history of OCS; higher Y-BOCS for compulsions and total Y-BOCS scores; higher chance of presenting contamination obsessions, repeating, hoarding, miscellaneous and tic-like compulsions; lower chance of having counting compulsions; higher probability of presenting symptoms of \"hoarding\" dimension; higher severity in \"aggression/violence\" and \"miscellaneous\" dimensions and global DY-BOCS scale score; higher mean number of comorbidities; higher probability of presenting separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, body dysmorphic disorder and tic disorders; lower chance of presenting posttraumatic stress disorder; and a higher chance of having a 35% reduction on the Y-BOCS scale. The EO subgroup with tic disorders differed from the EO without tics for presenting higher chance of having sensory phenomena, somatic obsessions; lower chance and lower score in the DY-BOCS scale; lower chance of presenting mood disorder, depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, social phobia and skin picking; higher chance of having a 35% reduction on the Y-BOCS scale. Results suggested that the differences found among early, intermediated and late onset groups with early onset were secondary to the own age at onset, and other differences were secondary to the presence of tics.

Jogo Patológico é um transtorno psiquiátrico ao qual se reputa importante participação de fatores de personalidade. Jogo Patológico tem sido associado com dependências de substâncias e especula-se uma relação com Transtorno Obsessivo Compulsivo (TOC). Alguns propõem que seja visto como uma dependência não química, outros recusam esta designação argumentando que o termo dependência deveria ser reservado ao uso abusivo de substâncias psicoativas e que JP estaria mais próximo de transtornos do humor e ansiosos. Jogo patológico já foi classificado como comportamento compulsivo, como dependência e, atualmente, encontra-se entre os 'Transtornos do Controle dos Impulsos Não Classificados em Outro Local' no DSM-IV, e entre os 'Transtornos de Hábitos e Impulsos' na CID-10. A relativa juventude do Jogo Patológico, enquanto categoria diagnóstica operacionalmente definida, talvez explique a imprecisão em sua caracterização fenomenológica e clínica. Os objetivos desta tese foram comparar Jogo Patológico e TOC, quanto às características de curso clínico e comorbidade e comparar jogadores patológicos, portadores de TOC e controles normais quanto a traços de personalidade com enfoque específico em impulsividade e compulsividade. Foram selecionados 40 jogadores patológicos, 40 portadores de TOC e 40 controles normais, pareados por gênero, idade e nível educacional. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o SCAN (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry), para investigação de curso e comorbidade; o Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire; a Barrat Impulsiveness Scale versão 11 e uma versão adaptada da Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale para investigação de compulsividade. Observou-se que os portadores de TOC apresentaram início mais precoce, curso mais insidioso e menor freqüência de períodos livres de sintomatologia. Jogo Patológico e TOC apresentaram elevada comorbidade com transtornos ansiosos e depressão, porém Jogo Patológico apresentou uma associação significativamente maior com alcoolismo e tabagismo, enquanto TOC apresentou maior freqüência de transtornos somatoformes. Jogadores pontuaram em média significativamente mais que portadores de TOC e controles normais nas medidas de impulsividade. Portadores de TOC pontuaram mais que jogadores e controles normais em compulsividade. Jogadores pontuaram mais que controles normais em compulsividade. Conclui-se que Jogo Patológico e TOC guardam alguma semelhança no tocante à elevada comorbidade com depressão e ansiedade. Contudo, o curso clínico do Jogo Patológico, marcado por exacerbações paroxísticas e períodos de abstinência, além da elevada comorbidade com alcoolismo e tabagismo, reforçam suas semelhanças com as dependências. Em relação à personalidade, o traço mais saliente dos jogadores foi a impulsividade, justificando sua classificação como um transtorno do impulso. / Pathological Gambling (PG) is a psychiatric disorder in which personality features are considered essential for its development. In addition, it has been associated to Substance Dependence and a relationship to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been proposed. Some authors conceptualize it as a non-chemical dependence; others refuse this concept, arguing that the term dependence should be used exclusively to the misuse of psychoactive substances, and that PG would be closer to anxiety and affective disorders. PG has been classified as a compulsive behavior, as a dependence, and presently it is classified among the Impulse Control Disorders Not Elsewhere Classified in the DSM-IV, and 'Habit and Impulse disorders' in the ICD-10. PG's relative youth as a diagnostic category may explain the inaccuracy of its phenomenology and clinical characterization. The objectives of this study were: to compare PG and OCD regarding clinical course and psychiatric comorbidity; to compare pathological gamblers, obsessive-compulsive patients, and normal controls regarding personality features, specifically focussing impulsivity and compulsivity. Forty pathological gamblers, 40 obsessive-compulsive patients, and 40 normal control volunteers, matched by gender, age, and educational level were included. They were assessed through the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry for evaluation of course of illness and psychiatric comorbidity; the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire; the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11, and an adapted version of the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for investigation of compulsivity. It was observed that OCD patients were younger at illness onset, had a more insidious course of the illness, with less frequent symptom free periods. PG and OCD presented high comorbidity with anxiety and depressive disorders, but PG presented a higher association to alcoholism and tobacco dependence as compared to OCD, while OCD presented a higher association to somatoform disorders as compared to PG. Pathological gamblers scored significantly higher than OCD patients and normal controls on impulsivity measures. OCD patients scored higher than pathological gamblers and normal controls on impulsivity. Pathological gambler scored higher than normal controls on compulsivity. It was concluded that PG and OCD have similarities regarding their high comorbidity to depression and anxiety. Nevertheless, PG's clinical course, characterized by recurrent symptomatic periods and symptom free periods, in addition to the high comorbidity with alcoholism and tobacco dependence, reinforces its resemblance to the dependencies. Regarding personality, impulsivity was the most salient feature found among pathological gamblers, thus supporting PG's classification as an impulsive control disorder.

Pesquisas sobre o transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo (TOC) que reunem pacientes em subgrupos homogêneos a partir de dimensões de sintomas, e as que investigam sua validade utilizando métodos genéticos, de neuroimagem e de resposta terapêutica, têm produzido resultados de valor heurístico. Em particular, a dimensão de colecionismo mostrou ser a mais distinta quanto às características neurobiológicas e a mais associada à pior resposta aos tratamentos farmacológicos e psicoterápicos. Paralelamente, novos métodos de tratamento neurocirúrgico para os casos mais refratários e graves tem sido testados no TOC, atingindo mais eficácia e segurança. Entretanto, não há registro na literatura de uma investigação sistemática da relação entre a presença de dimensões de sintomas antes das cirurgias e o resultado clínico. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar se dimensões de sintomas, em particular o colecionismo, poderiam influenciar a resposta terapêutica às neurocirurgias límbicas para o tratamento do TOC. Informações de 77 pacientes submetidos à cirurgias ablativas para o tratamento de TOC em três centros de pesquisa das cidades de São Paulo (Brasil, n=17), Boston (EUA, n=37) e Estocolmo (Suécia, n=23) foram analisadas utilizando a Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DYBOCS; São xvi Paulo) ou a Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist (YBOCS-SC; Boston e Estocolmo) para a estratificação em dimensões de sintomas, e os escores YBOCS para avaliações de resultado clinico. Após os procedimentos, houve uma diminuição média de 34,2% nos escores YBOCS (IC 95% de 27,2% a 41,3%), com um tempo de seguimento médio de 34,8 meses, sem diferença significativa entre os centros de pesquisa ou em relação ao tipo de cirurgia (capsulotomia, São Paulo e Estocolmo; cingulotomia, Boston). Pacientes com dimensão de colecionismo apresentaram pior resposta ao tratamento (redução média dos escores YBOCS de 22,70% [DP = 32,23] para pacientes com colecionismo versus 41,60% [DP = 25,99] para pacientes sem colecionismo, p=0,006). Pacientes com dimensão de pensamentos proibidos também revelaram pior resposta ao tratamento (redução média dos escores YBOCS de 30,10% [DP = 29,61] para pacientes com pensamentos proibidos versus 51,33% [DP = 32,74] para pacientes sem pensamentos proibidos, p=0,033), mas este efeito dependeu da co-ocorrência das dimensões de pensamentos proibidos e colecionismo. Ao se utilizar um modelo de análise de variância (ANOVA), apenas a influência negativa do colecionismo se manteve: a redução média dos escores YBOCS em todos os pacientes foi de 13 pontos, mas em pacientes com colecionismo essa redução foi de 7 pontos (p=0,002). Concluindo, a presença da dimensão de colecionismo no momento pré-operatório associou-se à redução da melhora clínica decorrente da intervenção neurocirúrgica / Research on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using symptom dymension strategies to identify more homogeneous patient subgroups, coupled with genetic, neuroimaging, and treatment outcome studies, has produced results of heuristic value. In particular, the hoarding dimension has more distinct neurobiological characteristics and has been associated with worse response to pharmachological and psychoterapeutic treatments. At the same time, the most severe and treatment refractory cases of OCD have been treated with novel neurosurgical techniques, with better efficacy and safety profiles. However, the association between symptom dimensions prior to surgery and the treatment outcome after the limbic procedure has not been sistematically investigated in the literature so far. The objective of this study was to investigate if symptom dymensions, in particular hoarding, could influence treatment outcome of limbic neurosurgeries for OCD. Information on 77 patients that underwent limbic ablative procedures for OCD from three research centers at Sao Paulo (Brazil, n=17), Boston (USA, n=37), and Stockholm (Sweden, n=23) were collected and analyzed. Symptom stratification was obtained using the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DYBOCS; Sao Paulo) or the Yale-Brown xix Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist (YBOCS-SC; Boston and Stockholm) and treatment outcome was defined using YBOCS scores. Mean YBOCS scores reduced 34.2% after surgery (CI 95% = 27.2% to 41.3%) with a mean follow-up of 34.8 months. There was no significant difference among centers or in relation to the method of surgical intervention (capsulotomy, Sao Paulo and Stockholm; cingulotomy, Boston). Patients with hoarding symptoms had worse response to treatment (mean YBOCS reduction of 22.70% [SD = 32.23] for hoarding patients vs. 41.60% [SD = 25.99] for patients without hoarding symptoms, p=0,006). Patients with forbidden thoughts symptoms apparently also had worse response to treatment (mean YBOCS reduction of 30.10% [SD = 29.61] for patients with forbidden thoughts vs. 51.33% [SD = 32.74] for patients without this symptom dymension, p=0,033), but this effect proved dependent on the co-occurence of forbidden thoughts with hoarding dymensions. Indeed, using an analisys of variance model (ANOVA) only the negative influence of the hoarding dymension remained: patients without hoarding had a mean YBOCS redution of 13 points, while in patients with hoarding symptoms the mean reduction was of 7 points (p=0.002). In conclusion, the pre-operative presence of the hoarding dymension was associated with worst clinical outcome after the neurosurgical procedures

The response inhibition ability is part of executive functions, which may be defined as a set of higher cognitive processes particularly located in the frontal-subcortical circuits. Since the main obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms seem to be relevant to the inability of inhibiting certain stimuli, it can be assumed that response inhibition in these patients will be disrupted. Studies related to this topic have brought inconsistent results. Our research dealing with OCD patients has focused on two dimensions of the response inhibition - the behavioral inhibition, which generally includes the behavior control (for instance impulse control), and the cognitive interference, which is considered to be the cognitive component of inhibition process and is mostly associated with the control of internal cognitive processes. The first part of our research included the verification of hypothesis, stating that the increased severity of obsession is associated with the degree of disrupted ability of cognitive interference, while the severity of compulsions correlates with the degree of disrupted performance in tests measuring behavioral inhibition. The second research objective was to clarify whether the inhibition response ability was different between patients when the predominance of symptoms was...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with a prevalence of 1-2 %, frequently leads a chronic course. Persons with OCD are often reluctant to seek help and, if they do, their OCD is often missed. This is unfortunate, since active treatment may substantially improve social function and quality of life. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) have welldocumented efficacy in OCD, but delayed response may be problematic. Methods to predict response have been lacking. Because SRIs are effective, pathophysiological research on OCD has focussed on serotonin. However, no clear aberrations of serotonin have been found, thus other mechanisms ought to be involved. Our aims were to facilitate clinical detection and assessment of OCD, to search for biochemical correlates of response and side-effects in SRI treatment of OCD and to identify any possible involvement of oxytocin in the pathophysiology of OCD. In study I, we tested in 402 psychiatric out-patients the psychometric properties of a concise rating scale, “Brief Obsessive Compulsive Scale” (BOCS). BOCS was shown to be easy to use and have excellent discriminant validity in relation to other common psychiatric diagnoses. Studies II-V were based on 36 OCD patients from a randomised controlled trial of paroxetine, clomipramine or placebo. In study II, contrary to expectation, we found that the change (decrease) of serotonin in whole blood was most pronounced in non-responders to SRI. This is likely to reflect inflammatory influence on platelet turnover rather than serotonergic processes within the central nervous system. In studies IV-V, we found relations between changes of oxytocin in plasma and the anti-obsessive response, and between oxytocin and the SRI related delay of orgasm, respectively. In both cases, the relation to central oxytocinergic mechanisms is unclear. In males, delayed orgasm predicted anti-obsessive response.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, is a new clinical treatment shown to be effective for victims of trauma. EMDR is a time efficient, comprehensive methodology backed by positive, controlled research, for the treatment of disturbing experiences that underlie many pathologies. An eight phase treatment approach that includes using eye movements or other left-right stimulation, EMDR helps victims of trauma reprocess disturbing thoughts and memories. The purpose of this research project was to describe and explore the utilization of EMDR by licensed clinical social workers who were registered as members of the National Association of Social Workers.

Background. Feelings of doubt and perseverative behaviours are key symptoms of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and have been linked to hyperactive error and conflict signals in the brain. While enhanced neural correlates of error monitoring have been robustly shown, far less is known about conflict processing and adaptation in OCD. Method. We examined event-related potentials during conflict processing in 70 patients with OCD and 70 matched healthy comparison participants, focusing on the stimulus-locked N2 elicited in a flanker task. Conflict adaptation was evaluated by analysing sequential adjustments in N2 and behaviour, i.e. current conflict effects as a function of preceding conflict. Results. Patients with OCD showed enhanced N2 amplitudes compared with healthy controls. Further, patients showed stronger conflict adaptation effects on reaction times and N2 amplitude. Thus, the effect of previous compatibility was larger in patients than in healthy participants as indicated by greater N2 adjustments in change trials (i.e. iC, cI). As a result of stronger conflict adaptation in patients, N2 amplitudes were comparable between groups in incompatible trials following incompatible trials. Conclusions. Larger N2 amplitudes and greater conflict adaptation in OCD point to enhanced conflict monitoring leading to increased recruitment of cognitive control in patients. This was most pronounced in change trials and was associated with stronger conflict adjustment in N2 and behaviour. Thus, hyperactive conflict monitoring in OCD may be beneficial in situations that require a high amount of control to resolve conflict, but may also reflect an effortful process that is linked to distress and symptoms of OCD.

The diploma thesis is focused on orthorexia nervosa in connection with OCD. Theoretical part contains introduction, diagnostic criteria and methods of measuring. Increasing attention is given to risk groups and factors, which can affect the development of both disorders. Moreover, treatment options and comparison with other mental disorders are presented. The last part of theoretical part is focused on athletes in fitness centers, which are research subjects in the practical part of the thesis. The main goal of practical part is to find out connection between orthorexia nervosa and OCD in selected group of respondents (N=203). Main research survey has quantitative design. The ORTO-15 and Obsessive - Compulsive Inventory (OCI) surveys are used. Statistical analysis shows statistically significant correlation between orthorexia symptoms and obsessive - compulsive disorder symptoms. There is not any significant correlation between orthorexia and training frequency. However, there is statistically significant correlation between orthorexia symptoms and training frequency. The results also show that the occurrence of orthorexia is not sex-linked. Interviews with some responders have been added to research survey (N = 6). The gathered data were processed open coding and presented card unloading...