André L Campos-Lima1, Albina R Torres2, Murat Yücel3, Ben J Harrison4, Jorge Moll5, Gabriela M Ferreira1, Leonardo F Fontenelle1. 1. 1Programa de Transtornos Obsessivo-Compulsivos e de Ansiedade,Instituto de Psiquiatria,Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ),Rio de Janeiro,Brasil. 2. 2Departmento de Neurologia,Psicologia e Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu,Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho,São Paulo,Brasil. 3. 3Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience (MCIN) Laboratory,School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging (MBI) Facility,Monash University,Victoria,Australia. 4. 4Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC),University of Melbourne,Victoria,Australia. 5. 5Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR),Rio de Janeiro,Brasil.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although severe hoarding symptoms have been considered rare among obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) samples, the prevalence of animal hoarding in OCD is unknown. To help clarifying this issue, we searched for cases of animal hoarding among patients attending a university OCD clinic (n=420). METHODS: Chart review. RESULTS: Only two patients from our sample exhibited animal hoarding (<0.5%) and only one of them presented additional obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Both cases also collected inanimate objects, presented low insight, exhibited poor response to serotonin reuptake inhibitors and did not adhere to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: There seems to be a lack of relationship between animal hoarding and OCD. However, further studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to better define their psychopathological profile and more appropriate nosological insertion.
BACKGROUND: Although severe hoarding symptoms have been considered rare among obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) samples, the prevalence of animal hoarding in OCD is unknown. To help clarifying this issue, we searched for cases of animal hoarding among patients attending a university OCD clinic (n=420). METHODS: Chart review. RESULTS: Only two patients from our sample exhibited animal hoarding (<0.5%) and only one of them presented additional obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Both cases also collected inanimate objects, presented low insight, exhibited poor response to serotonin reuptake inhibitors and did not adhere to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: There seems to be a lack of relationship between animal hoarding and OCD. However, further studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to better define their psychopathological profile and more appropriate nosological insertion.