Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most prevalent and disabling neuropsychiatric disorders, with high comorbidity rates and poor response to first-line treatments in about one third of patients. Currently recognized as an early-onset disorder, it may present distinct symptom dimensions, with an often-chronic course with periods of worsening of symptoms, or, less frequently, an episodic course, with long periods of complete remission. Evidence shows a considerable delay in both establishing a proper diagnosis and delivering first line treatments worldwide, adding to the disease burden. On the other hand, advances in understanding the neurocircuitry of this disorder and the similarity of OCD symptoms across the globe create novel opportunities for the use of modern biotechnology and biomedicine to tackle the unmet needs of patients with OCD across the lifespan.
Our goal is to examine how modern neuroscience can contribute to clinical practice in addressing the unmet needs of patients with OCD across the lifespan with regard to early diagnosis and treatment effectiveness. Obstacles to an early diagnosis may include the non-recognition of specific OCD symptoms, the non-recognition of environmental (e.g., trauma) and biological (e.g., genetics) risk factors for the development of the disorder, and the presence of comorbidities which have implications for the trajectory of OCD. In parallel, the reasons for evidence-based treatments not being effective in about a third of patients remain poorly understood. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and clomipramine) and cognitive behavioural therapy, involving exposure and response prevention, remain the mainstay of treatment for OCD, and although several clinical, environmental and biological predictors of response have been reported, delivering more personalized treatments is not a reality thus far. Treatments targeting novel neurotransmitters such as glutamate, and the use of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques such as TMS and tDCS have shown promise, but it is still not clear which patients benefit most from these treatments. Finally, evidence from neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies point to the involvement of distinct circuits that could be differently engaged in the disorder, depending on the clinical presentation, illness duration and exposure to treatment. A deeper understanding of the factors associated with the diagnostic delay and the response to diverse treatment modalities across the lifespan is a necessary step towards more effective clinical care.
We will welcome original studies and reviews conducted with samples of youth, adults or elderly patients with OCD covering the following topics:
• Environmental risk factors for OCD (trauma, perinatal events, etc.)
• Diagnostic and differential diagnosis challenges
• OCD and comorbidity across the lifespan: implications for diagnosis and treatment
• Environmental predictors of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Neuropsychological investigations, including cognitive markers of OCD and neurocognitive deficits as predictors of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Genetics: contribution to understanding the risk for developing OCD, comorbidity patterns and prediction of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Neuroimaging studies (structural, functional, spectroscopy): novel findings associated with risk for OCD/prediction of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Novel treatment approaches (for example, the implementation of outpatient intensive behavioural treatments as an alternative to conventional CBT, neuromodulation techniques, pharmacological trials with novel targe
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most prevalent and disabling neuropsychiatric disorders, with high comorbidity rates and poor response to first-line treatments in about one third of patients. Currently recognized as an early-onset disorder, it may present distinct symptom dimensions, with an often-chronic course with periods of worsening of symptoms, or, less frequently, an episodic course, with long periods of complete remission. Evidence shows a considerable delay in both establishing a proper diagnosis and delivering first line treatments worldwide, adding to the disease burden. On the other hand, advances in understanding the neurocircuitry of this disorder and the similarity of OCD symptoms across the globe create novel opportunities for the use of modern biotechnology and biomedicine to tackle the unmet needs of patients with OCD across the lifespan.
Our goal is to examine how modern neuroscience can contribute to clinical practice in addressing the unmet needs of patients with OCD across the lifespan with regard to early diagnosis and treatment effectiveness. Obstacles to an early diagnosis may include the non-recognition of specific OCD symptoms, the non-recognition of environmental (e.g., trauma) and biological (e.g., genetics) risk factors for the development of the disorder, and the presence of comorbidities which have implications for the trajectory of OCD. In parallel, the reasons for evidence-based treatments not being effective in about a third of patients remain poorly understood. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and clomipramine) and cognitive behavioural therapy, involving exposure and response prevention, remain the mainstay of treatment for OCD, and although several clinical, environmental and biological predictors of response have been reported, delivering more personalized treatments is not a reality thus far. Treatments targeting novel neurotransmitters such as glutamate, and the use of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques such as TMS and tDCS have shown promise, but it is still not clear which patients benefit most from these treatments. Finally, evidence from neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies point to the involvement of distinct circuits that could be differently engaged in the disorder, depending on the clinical presentation, illness duration and exposure to treatment. A deeper understanding of the factors associated with the diagnostic delay and the response to diverse treatment modalities across the lifespan is a necessary step towards more effective clinical care.
We will welcome original studies and reviews conducted with samples of youth, adults or elderly patients with OCD covering the following topics:
• Environmental risk factors for OCD (trauma, perinatal events, etc.)
• Diagnostic and differential diagnosis challenges
• OCD and comorbidity across the lifespan: implications for diagnosis and treatment
• Environmental predictors of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Neuropsychological investigations, including cognitive markers of OCD and neurocognitive deficits as predictors of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Genetics: contribution to understanding the risk for developing OCD, comorbidity patterns and prediction of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Neuroimaging studies (structural, functional, spectroscopy): novel findings associated with risk for OCD/prediction of response to diverse treatment modalities
• Novel treatment approaches (for example, the implementation of outpatient intensive behavioural treatments as an alternative to conventional CBT, neuromodulation techniques, pharmacological trials with novel targe
