title: Frequency of obsessive and compulsive symptoms in patients with blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blepharospasm (BS) is a form of central focal dystonia recently associated with psychiatric disorders, particularly obsessive and compulsive symptoms. Hemifacial spasm (HFS) represents a focal myoclonus with peripheral origin in the facial nerve.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of obsessive and compulsive symptoms in patients with BS in comparison with patients with HFS.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 patients from each group (BS and HFS) followed by the botulinum toxin clinic at the HC-UFPR were evaluated using a structured interview based on the DSM-IV criteria and the Yale-Brown scale. Results were compared by the mean two-tailed t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found obsessive or compulsive symptoms in 20 (66.6%) patients with BE and 21 (70%) with HFS. Yale-Brown scale scores for each group were higher among BS patients; however, diferences were not statisticaly significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study did not show a significant diference in the comparison of the prevalence of obsessive and compulsive symptoms among patients with BS and HFS.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Distúrbios do Movimento, Serviço de Neurologia do Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Renato P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Munhoz
authors.forename: Helio A G
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Teive
authors.forename: Marcus V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Della Coletta
authors.forename: Francisco M B
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Germiniani
authors.forename: Fábio M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Carlos H F
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.forename: Lineu César
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Werneck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001764:Blepharospasm / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D019569:Hemifacial Spasm / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales