Obsessive-compulsive disorder in schizophrenia

Objective: To examine the differences in demographic and clinical features of patients with schizophrenia, with or without comorbid obsessive-compulsi ve disorder (OCD). Methods: Fifty-two subjects were recruited from clinical services in the ci ty of Edmonton, Alberta and assessed for schizophrenia and OCD with structu red clinical interviews and standardized clinical rating scales. Results: The prevalence of OCD in individuals meeting criteria for schizoph renia was 25%. Those subjects having both schizophrenia and OCD scored sign ificantly higher on the Y-BOCS, Hollingshead scale, and GAF; plus significa ntly lower PANSS negative symptoms and a trend in increased Parkinsonian sy mptoms compared with individuals with schizophrenia alone. Conclusion: Our preliminary findings indicate that patients with schizophre nia and OCD vary in selected demographic and clinical measures when compare d to patients with schizophrenia alone. Patients with schizophrenia and OCD appear to have less negative symptoms, which may thus be reflected in the decreased GAF scores. It is speculated that patients with schizophrenia and OCD may have a greater propensity to basal ganglia dysfunction than those with schizophrenia alone resulting in increased Parkinsonian symptoms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.