Neurobehavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in an adult with traumatic brain injury.
Although obsessive-compulsive disorder has been reported as one of many anxiety-related sequelae of brain injury, few empirical data of its responsiveness to psychological intervention are available. In this study, a single participant changing criterion experimental design was used to evaluate a neurobehavioural intervention for compulsive behaviour of an adult with severe traumatic brain injury. The participant, a man aged 24 years, had sustained frontal-temporal lobe brain trauma 12 months earlier, and presented with compulsive counting and voiding of bladder. The neurobehavioural intervention consisted of regular in-home consultations, self-regulation procedures including self-recording of compulsive behaviour, stress-coping strategies, errorless remediation, social reinforcement, and gradual fading of intervention. Baseline showed counting occurred on average 80% of daily hourly intervals, and voiding 12 times per day. Intervention produced elimination of compulsive counting, acceptable voiding at 8 times per day, and reports of the participant's satisfaction with intervention methods and outcomes. At 6 months follow-up, counting remained at zero levels, and voiding had decreased further to 7 times per day.
Praxis Research, Perth, Australia. arco.1m@bigpond.com
Lucius
L
Arco
D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*