Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:1545-1554
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder
J Rapoport, R Elkins, DH Langer, W Sceery, MS Buchsbaum, JC Gillin, DL Murphy, TP Zahn, R Lake, C Ludlow and W Mendelson
The authors collected clinical diagnostic, neurophysiological,
electrophysiological, and biochemical data on 9 adolescents who had primary
obsessive-compulsive disorder. The results indicate considerable
descriptive validity of the syndrome in childhood and its independence from
obsessional traits; however, all of the children had a history of major
depressive disorder, and their sleep EEG measures resembled those of young
adults with primary depressive disorder. The patients' families did not
have a more consistent pattern of anxiety disorder or any other psychiatric
disorder than do families of adult obsessive patients. Psycholinguistic
test results showed a lack of normal laterality, which has been reported
for other psychiatric illness.
