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Neurochemical and Neuroendocrine Considerations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders in Childhood

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Application of Basic Neuroscience to Child Psychiatry

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common condition in children and adolescents, affecting, at a minimum, 1 in 200 teenagers.1 The affected individuals are plagued by intrusive obsessive thoughts, and their lives are disrupted by irresistible compulsions. The clinical presentation of childhood-onset OCD is similar to that of adult-onset OCD, and more than one third of adults suffering from OCD report onset of their symptoms during childhood or adolescence.2 The pre- and post-treatment biochemical profiles and response to pharmacotherapy, particularly treatment with clomipramine, are also similar between adults and children,3 suggesting that information gained from adult studies can be extrapolated to apply to childhood-onset OCD. This is of particular importance because of the limitations on research investigations in patients under 18 years of age. This chapter presents relevant information from both patient groups, adults and children, in order to examine the neuropathology of childhood OCD more fully.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA

    Susan E. Swedo & Judith L. Rapoport

Authors
  1. Susan E. Swedo
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  2. Judith L. Rapoport
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Veterans Administration Medical Center, Washington, D.C., USA

    Stephen I. Deutsch

  2. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C, USA

    Stephen I. Deutsch

  3. Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Abraham Weizman  & Ronit Weizman  & 

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© 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation

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Swedo, S.E., Rapoport, J.L. (1990). Neurochemical and Neuroendocrine Considerations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders in Childhood. In: Deutsch, S.I., Weizman, A., Weizman, R. (eds) Application of Basic Neuroscience to Child Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0525-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0525-5_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7849-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0525-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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