Influence of age and tic disorders on obsessive-compulsive disorder in a pediatric sample.
BACKGROUND
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous disorder with emerging data suggesting that age of onset and/or the presence of tics may define clinically important subgroups.


OBJECTIVE
This study set out to evaluate the impact of age and tic disorders on the symptom profile in a pediatric sample of patients with OCD ascertained from a specialty clinic.


METHODS
Eighty children with OCD (50 boys, 30 girls) were assessed for symptom type, severity, age of onset, presence of a tic disorder, and functional status. Each child's most impairing obsessions and compulsions were identified and compared by age category (above and below the age of 11 years) and according to the presence or absence of a tic disorder.


RESULTS
The mean age of the sample was 11.1 +/- 3.19 years (range 4-18 years). The most common obsessions reported were contamination and worries about harm. Common compulsions included washing and rituals to prevent harm. The only significant differences across age groups were the percentage of religious worries and slightly higher severity of obsessions in the adolescent age group (p < 0.05). The presence of tics was associated with increased frequency of repetitive behavior unrelated to harm avoidance (p < 0.05). Children without a history of tics were more likely to describe incidents of contamination, washing, and repetitive request for reassurance (p < 0.05 for each).


CONCLUSIONS
In this convenient sample of clinically ascertained children, there were few phenotypic differences in children above or below the age of 11 years. Differences in the distribution of OCD symptoms according to the presence or absence of tics, which has been documented in adult samples, were evident in this sample.
Scahill
Larry
L
Yale Child Study Center, & Yale School of Nursing, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. lawrence.scahill@yale.edu
Kano
Yukiko
Y
King
Robert A
RA
Carlson
Andrea
A
Peller
Allyson
A
LeBrun
Ursula
U
Do Rosario-Campos
Maria Conceiao
MC
Leckman
James F
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013981:Tic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States