Similarities in response to fluoxetine in the treatment of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Vol. 34; no. 1; p. 36
• Main Authors: Geller, D A, Biederman, J, Reed, E D, Spencer, T, Wilens, T E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.1995
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - complications; Child Behavior Disorders - drug therapy; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fluoxetine - administration & dosage; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - complications; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - drug therapy
• ISSN: 0890-8567
• DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199501000-00011

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common disorder that frequently has its onset in childhood and is associated with substantial morbidity and dysfunction despite availability of new treatments. However, antiobsessional agents have not been systematically evaluated in young children and their effectiveness beyond the short term has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of fluoxetine in the long-term treatment of both children and adolescents with OCD. All pediatric patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of OCD who were treated with fluoxetine were ascertained from retrospective chart reviews of a pediatric psychopharmacology clinic. Response to treatment was evaluated by experienced clinicians using the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Of 38 identified patients, 28 (74%) showed moderate to marked improvement of OCD symptoms on doses averaging 50 mg/day (1.0 mg/kg per day) over an average follow-up period of 19 months. Similar effects were observed in children and adolescents. Although limited by their retrospective nature, these findings indicate that fluoxetine may be effective in prepubertal children and that the effect can be sustained over time.