Comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia: contributions of pharmacological and genetic factors.

ABSTRACT: A large subgroup of around 25% of schizophrenia patients suffers from obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and about 12% fulfill the diagnostic criteria of an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The additional occurrence of OCS is associated with high subjective burden of disease, additional neurocognitive impairment, poorer social and vocational functioning, greater service utilization and high levels of anxiety and depression. Comorbid patients can be assigned to heterogeneous subgroups. One hypothesis assumes that second generation antipsychotics (SGAs), most importantly clozapine, might aggravate or even induce second-onset OCS. Several arguments support this assumption, most importantly the observed chronological order of first psychotic manifestation, start of treatment with clozapin

SUBMITTER: Schirmbeck F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3738863 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature