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The OCD collaborative genetics study: Methods and sample description
Author(s) -
Samuels Jack F.,
Riddle Mark A.,
Greenberg Benjamin D.,
Fyer Abby J.,
McCracken James T.,
Rauch Scott L.,
Murphy Dennis L.,
Grados Marco A.,
Pinto Anthony,
Knowles James A.,
Piacentini John,
Cannistraro Paul A.,
Cullen Bernadette,
Bienvenu O. Joseph,
Rasmussen Steven A.,
Pauls David L.,
Willour Virginia L.,
Shugart Yin Y.,
Liang Kungyee,
HoehnSaric Rudolf,
Nestadt Gerald
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of medical genetics part b: neuropsychiatric genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.393
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1552-485X
pISSN - 1552-4841
DOI - 10.1002/ajmg.b.30224
Subject(s) - sibling , anxiety , psychiatry , mood disorders , obsessive compulsive , tics , anxiety disorder , psychology , clinical psychology , mood , tourette syndrome , medicine , developmental psychology
Results from twin and family studies suggest that obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) may be transmitted in families but, to date, genes for the disorder have not been identified. The OCD Collaborative Genetics Study (OCGS) is a six‐site collaborative genetic linkage study of OCD. Specimens and blinded clinical data will be made available through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) cell repository. In this initial report, we describe the methods of the study and present clinical characteristics of affected individuals for researchers interested in this valuable resource for genetic studies of OCD. The project clinically evaluated and collected blood specimens from 238 families containing 299 OCD‐affected sibling pairs and their parents, and additional affected relative pairs, for a genome‐wide linkage study. Of the 999 individuals interviewed to date, 624 were diagnosed with “definite” OCD. The mean age of subjects was 36 years (range 7‐95). The majority of affected individuals (66%) were female. The mean age at onset of obsessive‐compulsive symptoms was 9.5 years. Specific mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and skin picking were more prevalent in female cases, whereas tics, Tourette disorder, and alcohol dependence were more prevalent in male cases. Compared to “definite” cases of OCD, “probable” cases (n = 82) had, on average, later age at onset of obsessive‐compulsive symptoms, lower severity score, and fewer numbers of different categories of obsessions and compulsions, and they were less likely to have received treatment for their symptoms. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.