Abstract
Background: A disturbed function of striato-thalamo-cortical circuitry is hypothesized to underlie idiopathic focal dystonia (IFD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), two severe and disabling neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Previous studies on small samples showed either higher obsessionality scores or higher frequency of OCD in dystonic patients than in normal control subjects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and familial loading of OCD in a population of patients with IFD. Methods: We evaluated OCD diagnosis and family history in 76 patients affected by IFD. Results: Of our subjects 19.7% satisfied DSM-IV criteria for OCD diagnosis and had a family morbidity risk for OCD of 13.8%, significantly higher than that found in the general population. Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis of a common pathologic background for OCD and IFD, at least in a subgroup of IFD, indicating basal ganglia dysfunction.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
