Scientists Discover a Significant Cause of OCD
According to a science report, some kids have OCD, but they can also experience ‘severe separation, subtle motor systems,’ and demonstrate frequent need to urinate.
PANDAS or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders were reportedly first proposed in the 90s decade. This condition has been thought to be triggered by infections, specifically "streptococcal infections."
These disorders account for an unidentified portion of youth obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD cases. However, the biology that underpins this disorder has confused many scientists.
According to a science report, these kids have OCD, but they can also experience "severe separation, subtle motor systems," and demonstrate frequent need to urinate.
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The Link Between OCD Cases and PANDAS
In a recent study conducted by Yale University, it was found that while one of three percent of children will be diagnosed with OCD by the time they turn 17, the fraction of cases of the disorder "that can be attributed to PANDAS" remains unknown.
According to some doctors, there is no adequate evidence to back PANDAS as a specific OCD diagnosis.
Others, which include many parents of kids who have the syndrome, contend that it may account for a huge subset of OCD children.
In the recently-conducted Yale study, scientists discovered that antibodies that bind to specific brain cells, also known as interneurons, could lead to OCD. The research finding presents a significant cause of mental disorder.
The American Journal of Psychiatry published this study with Christopher Pittenger as one of the authors.
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Exploration of the Biology of OCD
In this research, researchers investigated the biology of OCD in a set of experiments that involved 27 children who met the most stringent criteria for diagnosing PANDAS in 23 different control subjects.
Essentially, researchers found that a lot of kids with PANDAS diagnosis have high antibody levels that can affect specific interneurons-neurons that alter the other nearby cells' signaling.
Such antibodies are concentrated in a brain's area that's linked to voluntary motor control, which is called the striatum.
This particular finding is just among other functions, and it is also known for its involvement in OCD. When the antibody binds to the neurons, it decreases their activity.
In relation to this disorder, adults diagnosed with Tourette syndrome are found to lack similar particular striatal interneurons, proposing that problems with such cells may play an important role in certain conditions.
Tourette syndrome is, according to psychology experts, is characterized by vocal and motor tics or unwanted sounds.
The Tourette Syndrome
To explain further, Tourette syndrome is a condition involving repetitive movements or tics or unwanted sounds that cannot be easily managed.
For example, an individual may tend to repeatedly blink through eyes, shrug his shoulders, or blurt out unusual or offensive words.
Typically, tics appear in an individual from 2 to 15 years of age, with 6 years as the average age. As for the males, they are about thrice or four times more likely to develop the said syndrome compared to females.
Even though Tourette syndrome has no cure, there are available treatments to address it. A lot of people experiencing this condition do not need treatment when the symptoms they are experiencing are not troublesome. More so, tics are frequently reduced or become manageable a decade after.
The Yale University research team aims to investigate further this study in other children suffering from OCD and Tourette syndrome to find out how "widespread interneuron-binding antibodies are" in this series of related disorders.
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Sep 15, 2020 08:00 AM EDT
