DIAGNOSIS AND FLUOXETINE TREATMENT OF COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR DISORDER OFADULTS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION

A set of research diagnostic criteria was developed to identify potent ial obsessive-compulsive disorders among individuals with mental retar dation and aberrant behaviors. The behavior disorders of 10 subjects w ho met criteria for compulsive behavior disorder and 6 subjects who di d not (comparison subjects) were treated using the medication fluoxeti ne. All subjects were evaluated using an A-B open-trial method with 4- month baseline and treatment phases. Seven of the 10 subjects with com pulsive behavior disorder responded favorably to fluoxetine treatment; none of the comparison subjects responded favorably to this medicatio n. Further, there appeared to be a relation between manifest motor ste reotypies, compulsive behaviors, and response to fluoxetine.