TY - JOUR
T1 - Age of onset in obsessive-compulsive disorder: admixture analysis with a large sample
AU - Anholt, G.E.
AU - Aderka, I.M.
AU - van Balkom, A.J.L.M.
AU - Smit, J.H.
AU - Schruers, K.
AU - van der Wee, N.J.A.
AU - Eikelenboom, M.
AU - De Luca, V.
AU - van Oppen, P.C.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background Research into age of onset in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has indicated significant differences between patients with early and late onset of the disorder. However, multiple criteria have been used arbitrarily for differentiating between early-and late-onset OCD, rendering inconsistent results that are difficult to interpret. Method In the current study, admixture analysis was conducted in a sample of 377 OC patients to determine the number of underlying populations of age of onset and associated demographic and clinical characteristics. Various measures of anxiety, depression, co-morbidity, autism, OCD, tics and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were administered. Results A bimodal age of onset was established and the best-fitting cut-off score between early and late age of onset was 20 years (early age of onset â©19 years). Patients with early age of onset were more likely to be single. Early age of onset patients demonstrated higher levels of OCD severity and increased symptoms on all OCD dimensions along with increased ADHD symptoms and higher rates of bipolar disorder. Conclusions It is suggested that 20 years is the recommended cut-off age for the determination of early versus late age of onset in OCD. Early age of onset is associated with a generally graver OCD clinical picture and increased ADHD symptoms and bipolar disorder rates, which may be related to greater functional implications of the disorder. We propose that age of onset could be an important marker for the subtyping of OCD. © 2013 Cambridge University Press.
AB - Background Research into age of onset in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has indicated significant differences between patients with early and late onset of the disorder. However, multiple criteria have been used arbitrarily for differentiating between early-and late-onset OCD, rendering inconsistent results that are difficult to interpret. Method In the current study, admixture analysis was conducted in a sample of 377 OC patients to determine the number of underlying populations of age of onset and associated demographic and clinical characteristics. Various measures of anxiety, depression, co-morbidity, autism, OCD, tics and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were administered. Results A bimodal age of onset was established and the best-fitting cut-off score between early and late age of onset was 20 years (early age of onset â©19 years). Patients with early age of onset were more likely to be single. Early age of onset patients demonstrated higher levels of OCD severity and increased symptoms on all OCD dimensions along with increased ADHD symptoms and higher rates of bipolar disorder. Conclusions It is suggested that 20 years is the recommended cut-off age for the determination of early versus late age of onset in OCD. Early age of onset is associated with a generally graver OCD clinical picture and increased ADHD symptoms and bipolar disorder rates, which may be related to greater functional implications of the disorder. We propose that age of onset could be an important marker for the subtyping of OCD. © 2013 Cambridge University Press.
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291713000470
DO - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291713000470
M3 - Article
C2 - 23517651
SN - 0033-2917
VL - 44
SP - 185
EP - 194
JO - Psychological Medicine
JF - Psychological Medicine
IS - 1
ER -