The impacts of elevated autism spectrum disorder traits on clinical and psychosocial features and long-term treatment outcome in adult patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

BackgroundWhile a close relation between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been pointed out, there are few studies that have investigated whether highly elevated ASD traits may have significant impacts on clinical and psychosocial features as well as long-term treatment outcome in adult OCD patients. MethodsWe assessed ASD traits using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in 81 Japanese patients with OCD. The relation between degree of ASD traits and clinical and psychosocial variables and the 48-week treatment outcomes was analyzed in the subjects. ResultsA substantial proportion of the subjects showed higher ASD traits (35%) with more severe depressive or pervasive anxiety status, and social impairments and lower QOL compared to other OCD individuals. However, elevated ASD traits may exert rather smaller impact on the OCD phenomenology along with on the long-term treatment outcome than expected. ConclusionsElevated ASD traits may further emphasize the general psychopathological and socio-dysfunctional features rather than clinical aspects associated with OCD. Co-existing depressive or anxious symptom severity may further exacerbate the core-deficits related to ASD pathology. Thus the assessment of ASD traits should be important for understanding the clinical and psychosocial features and treatment responses in OCD patients.