title: The OCD collaborative genetics study: methods and sample description.
abstract: Results from twin and family studies suggest that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be transmitted in families but, to date, genes for the disorder have not been identified. The OCD Collaborative Genetics Study (OCGS) is a six-site collaborative genetic linkage study of OCD. Specimens and blinded clinical data will be made available through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) cell repository. In this initial report, we describe the methods of the study and present clinical characteristics of affected individuals for researchers interested in this valuable resource for genetic studies of OCD. The project clinically evaluated and collected blood specimens from 238 families containing 299 OCD-affected sibling pairs and their parents, and additional affected relative pairs, for a genome-wide linkage study. Of the 999 individuals interviewed to date, 624 were diagnosed with "definite" OCD. The mean age of subjects was 36 years (range 7-95). The majority of affected individuals (66%) were female. The mean age at onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms was 9.5 years. Specific mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and skin picking were more prevalent in female cases, whereas tics, Tourette disorder, and alcohol dependence were more prevalent in male cases. Compared to "definite" cases of OCD, "probable" cases (n = 82) had, on average, later age at onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, lower severity score, and fewer numbers of different categories of obsessions and compulsions, and they were less likely to have received treatment for their symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-7228, USA.
authors.forename: Jack F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Samuels
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Riddle
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Abby J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fyer
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: McCracken
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grados
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cannistraro
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: O Joseph
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Bienvenu
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Pauls
authors.forename: Virginia L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Willour
authors.forename: Yin Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Shugart
authors.forename: Kung-yee
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoehn-Saric
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nestadt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005190:Family; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012107:Research Design; D012737:Sex Factors; D035781:Siblings; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology