IS JUVENILE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER A DEVELOPMENTAL SUBTYPE OF THE DISORDER - A REVIEW OF THE PEDIATRIC LITERATURE

Objective: To examine the clinical correlates of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents. Method: A systematic revie w of the extant literature an juvenile OCD was conducted examining age at onset, gender distribution, symptom phenomenology, psychiatric com orbidity, neurological and perinatal history, family psychiatric histo ry, cognitive and neuropsychological profiles, and treatment and outco me in juvenile OCD subjects. Results: Juvenile OCD was associated with a unique peak of age at onset indicating a bimodal incidence of the d isorder, male preponderance, a distinct pattern of comorbidity with at tention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other developmental disorde rs as well as frequent associated neuropsychological deficits, an incr eased familial loading for OCD, and frequent absence of insight. Concl usion: These findings show that juvenile OCD is associated with a uniq ue set of correlates that appear to differ from findings reported in s tudies of adult OCD subjects. Although in need of confirmation, these findings suggest that juvenile OCD may be a developmental subtype of t he disorder. Since juvenile OCD is likely to continue into adulthood, these findings stress the importance of considering age at onset in cl inical and research studies of adults with OCD.