Sensory Processing Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive and Anxiety Disorders

PANS and PANDAS - symptoms beyond OCD and tics - a systematic review

This article aims to describe the symptomatology of Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), and to highlight some of their potential distinctive features, by juxtaposing available data with existing literature on pediatric obsessive - compulsive disorder (OCD). Given the scarcity of high-quality studies, we decided to review a wide range of publications on the clinical presentation of PANS and PANDAS, including case series and case reports, regardless of their methodological heterogeneity. Although PANS and PANDAS share many characteristics with non-PANS/PANDAS OCD, the acute onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in conjunction with concomitant features, especially separation anxiety, irritability, emotional lability, or dysgraphia should prompt consideration of a possible post-infectious etiology. Further research aimed at creating more precise diagnostic tools is needed to facilitate differential diagnosis.

When Attempts to Help Backfire: Psychosocial Interventions that May Inadvertently Prolong Anxiety Among Youth

Anxiety disorders are among the most common and impairing mental health conditions in children and adolescents. Although exposure-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-established treatment for this population based on decades of psychological science, many available psychosocial interventions are not based on this strong empirical foundation. In some cases, interventions for youth with anxiety disorders have the potential to maintain anxiety in the long run. Grounded in a well-developed cognitive-behavioral theoretical frame, this commentary aimed to discuss popular and emerging psychosocial interventions for anxious youth that may inadvertently prolong anxiety. We argue that (1) although the availability of gold-standard CBT (with an adequate focus on exposure therapy) appears to be increasing, it continues to be difficult to access for many youth, (2) several available interventions prescribe avoidance-based strategies that do not enable a child to experience self-efficacy building and corrective learning experiences related to their fears or anxieties, thereby potentially maintaining anxiety in the long-run, and (3) several available interventions are not based in any clear, empirically-supported theoretical frame or evidence base, and thus have unclear benefits for anxiety. In a time when there is increasing alarm about anxiety disorders among youth, building systems that can support tried-and-true interventions based on strong science is of utmost importance. Future research, intervention deployment, and policy efforts should pay more attention to the harms that could arise from psychosocial interventions.

Network Analysis of Premonitory Urges, Tic Symptoms, Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Drug-Naïve Children and Adolescents with Tic Disorder

Premonitory urges (PU) in tic disorder (TD) are recognized as a crucial factor influencing tic symptoms and overall well-being. This study employs network analysis to explore the intricate relationships among PU, tic symptoms, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and quality of life (QoL) in drug-naïve children and adolescents with TD. Participants were drug-naïve TD patients aged 6 to 16 years. All participants consented to undergo multiple accessments, including the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Premonitory Urge to Tic Scale (PUTS), Gilles de la Tourette-Quality of Life Scale (GTS-QOL), Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R). Network analysis was conducted using the R-package qgraph. Based on a sample of 344 TD patients, robust associations were identified between PU and tic symptoms, OCS, and QoL deficits. Centrality analysis identified ordering symptoms and obsessive thoughts as key nodes. Notable cross-scale associations were observed, such as the connections between PU and checking symptoms, as well as PU and obsessive thoughts. Bridge centrality analysis revealed that obsessive thoughts were identified as the strongest bridge symptom. PU was indirectly related to QoL in individuals with TD, while OCS exerted a direct association. Our study underscores the role of OCS in tic-related symptoms among individuals with TD. Highlighting the significant associations between PU and OCS, it emphasizes the necessity for targeted interventions to improve overall well-being.

Childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder, epigenetics, and heterochrony: An evolutionary and developmental approach

Childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) stems from a bunch of restricted and repetitive behaviors, which are part of normal behavioral repertoire up to the age of 7. The persistence of compulsive-like behaviors after that age is often associated with unique comorbidity patterns, which are age-at-onset dependent and reflect different developmental stages. In particular, OCD synchronically co-occurs with a broad constellation of neurodevelopmental disorders, whereas diachronically it is related to an increased risk of major adult psychoses. Moreover, OCD is associated with trait-like sensory phenomena, suggesting a common disrupted sensorimotor grounding.The present study is aimed at exploring the hypothesis that this specific temporal and comorbidity OCD profile may be due to a developmental heterochronic mechanism of delay in attenuation of ontogenetically early behavioral patterns. The developmental shift of highly evolutionarily conserved behavioral phenotypes might be regulated by epigenetic changes induced by different conditions of sensory unbalance. This evolutionary and developmental model allows capturing childhood OCD in light of the ultimate causes of ritual behavior throughout phylogeny, namely its "homeostatic" function over conditions of unpredictability. Moreover, it may have important clinical implications, as OCD symptoms could represent putative biomarkers of early divergent developmental trajectories, with a pathoplastic effect on course and outcome.

Safety and effectiveness of weighted blankets for symptom management in patients with mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The current practice guideline regarding treatment for insomnia and sleep disturbances among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been published and it suggests that the use of weighted blankets might not be an evidence-informed practice. However, limited guidance and evidence synthesis exist on the overall effectiveness of a weighted blanket for symptom management among patients with mental disorders, although it has been routinely recommended and prescribed for this population in many mental health care settings.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate and synthesize existing data on the safety and effectiveness of weighted blankets for symptom management among patients with mental disorders.

METHODS

Comprehensive retrieval of published, unpublished, or ongoing studies was carried out across a series of bibliographic databases, grey literature sources, and clinical trial registry platforms, along with manual screening of the reference lists of the included studies or relevant reviews. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared a weighted blanket intervention and a control condition among patients with mental disorders. Two reviewers independently extracted the data using a pre-specified form and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies with the revised Cochrane 'Risk of Bias' (RoB 2) tool. Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis when possible. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses, where appropriate, were conducted to explore the robustness of the pooled effect estimates.

RESULTS

Eight studies involving a total of 426 patients were included in this review. Half of the included studies were rated as having a high risk of bias, primarily due to the failure to blind participants for participant-reported measures. No serious adverse events were reported with the application of weighted blankets. The meta-analysis of five studies revealed that the use of weighted blankets induced a small magnitude decrease (standardized mean difference within studies [SMD]= 0.40) in anxiety management. The pooled estimate of three studies reporting the effect of weighted blankets on insomnia revealed a nonsignificant difference between the two groups (mean difference [MD] = -1.92, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = -3.92-0.09, p = 0.06). However, the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis of the two remaining homogeneous studies revealed that patients who used weighted blankets had reduced insomnia severity index (ISI) scores (MD = -2.78, 95 % CI = -4.44 to -1.12, p = 0.001). Additionally, a study without available data for inclusion in the meta-analysis also reported a positive effect in reducing the ISI score. Due to the heterogeneity across studies, summary estimates for the effects of weighted blankets on fatigue and depression were not computed. However, primary studies reporting these two outcomes demonstrated that the application of weighted blankets had a positive effect.

CONCLUSION

Weighted blankets may be a safe and effective add-on treatment for managing common symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, depression, and fatigue among psychiatric patients. However, these results need to be further confirmed due to the limited number of studies included in this review, the small sample size and the significant heterogeneity across these primary studies. To gain a better understanding of the effect and mechanism of weight blankets, future trials should preferably integrate more objective measures.

Neurodivergence, intersectionality, and eating disorders: a lived experience-led narrative review

Autistic people and those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at a high risk of developing an eating disorder. While there is limited evidence on the relationship between other forms of neurodivergence and eating disorders, research suggests associations between giftedness, intellectual disability, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychosis, Tourette's syndrome, and disordered eating. Factors underlying disordered eating and/or eating disorder risk for neurodivergent people are multifaceted and complex, encompassing a wide range of intertwined psychosocial, environmental, and biological processes. Moreover, research shows that neurodivergent individuals experience poorer treatment outcomes compared to neurotypical individuals. However, there is a paucity of research in this area overall. More specifically, lived experience-led research remains rare, despite its critical role for improving individualised eating disorder care, as well as mental healthcare more broadly. Indeed, the importance of eating disorder care individuation is increasingly being recognised, particularly within the context of neurodivergence, given the heterogeneous experiences and support needs of neurodivergent people affected by disordered eating and/or eating disorders. Furthermore, despite documented overlaps between various forms of neurodivergence (e.g., co-occurring autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), research looking at eating disorders in the context of neurodivergence through a transdiagnostic perspective is scarce. This lived experience-led narrative review aims to shed light on the intersectional factors underlying elevated disordered eating and/or eating disorder risk for neurodivergent individuals. First, an overview of prevalence data is provided, followed by a thematic framework identifying factors underlying disordered eating and/or eating disorder risk in relation to neurodivergence. A critical appraisal of current eating disorder research and care is then offered before suggestions for neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder care are made. In this view, this paper offers a foundation for future empirical work in this nascent field of inquiry by providing a lived experience-led, transdiagnostic, and intersectional account of eating disorders in the context of neurodivergence.

The Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition, Adolescent Self-Report Form; Swedish Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Establishment of Reliability and Face Validity

The Sensory Processing Measure, second edition (SPM-2), is an American assessment guiding person-centered sensory processing interventions, but it lacks Swedish adaptation for occupational therapists. In eight phases, this study translated the SPM-2 into Swedish and assessed its face validity and preliminary psychometric properties, including internal consistency and inter-scale/item correlations. The findings suggest the Swedish SPM-2 is valid and reliable, although the Social Participation scale showed weak internal consistency. A larger normative study (N = 130) is needed before clinical use.

An investigation of the experience of control through the sense of agency in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review and meta-analysis

The construct of sense of agency (SoA) has proven useful for understanding mechanisms underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) phenomenology, especially in explaining the apparent dissociation in OCD between actual and perceived control over one's actions. Paradoxically, people with OCD appear to experience both diminished SoA (feeling unable to control their actions) and inflated SoA (having "magical" control over events). The present review investigated the extent to which the SoA is distorted in OCD, in terms of both implicit (ie, inferred from correlates and outcomes of voluntary actions) and explicit (ie, subjective judgment of one's control over an outcome) measures of SoA. Our search resulted in 15 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in a meta-analysis, where we also examined the potential moderating effects of the type of measure (explicit versus implicit) and of the actual control participants had over the outcome. We found that participants with OCD or with high levels of OCD symptoms show lower implicit measures of SoA and at the same time tend to overestimate their control in situations where they do not actually have it. Together, these findings support the hypothesized dissociation in OCD between actual and perceived control over one's actions.

The Seeking Proxies for Internal States (SPIS) Model of OCD - A Comprehensive Review of Current Findings and Implications for Future Directions

The Seeking Proxies for Internal States (SPIS) model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) explains symptoms of OCD as stemming from attenuated access to internal states, which is compensated for by using proxies, which are indices of these states that are more discernible or less ambiguous. Internal states in the SPIS model are subjective states that are not accessible to others, encompassing physiological states, motivations, preferences, memories, and emotions. Compensatory proxies in OCD include fixed rules and rituals as well as seeking and relying on external information. In the present review, we outline the SPIS model and describe its basic tenets. We then use the SPIS conceptualization to explain two pivotal OCD-related phenomena - obsessive doubt and compulsive rituals. Next, we provide a detailed overview of current empirical evidence supporting the SPIS in several domains, including physiological states, emotions, sense of understanding, decision-making, and sense of agency. We conclude by discussing possible neural correlates of the difficulty in accessing internal states, focusing on the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and highlighting potential clinical implications of the model to the treatment of OCD.

Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Children Are Related to Sensory Sensitivity and to Seeking Proxies for Internal States

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder are related to atypical sensory processing, particularly sensory over-responsivity, in both children and adults. In adults, obsessive-compulsive symptoms are also associated with the attenuation of access to the internal state and compensatory reliance on proxies for these states, including fixed rules and rituals. We aimed to examine the associations between sensory over-responsivity, the tendency to seek proxies for internal states, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children. Parents of 404 children between 5 and 10 years of age completed online measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, seeking proxies for internal states, sensory over-responsivity, and anxiety. Linear regression, dominance analysis, and network analysis were used to explore the unique associations between these variables. The tendency to seek proxies for internal states was more strongly associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms than with anxiety symptoms and uniquely associated with all major obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions except obsessing. Both the tendency to seek proxies for internal states and sensory over-responsivity were significantly associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but the association was significantly stronger for the tendency to seek proxies for internal states. While limited by the sole reliance on the parent-report, the present study shows that the tendency to seek proxies for internal states could help clarify the developmental processes involved in the onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms during childhood and that sensory sensitivity may be important to consider in this process.

Factors associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in a clinical sample of youth with misophonia

Misophonia is an often chronic condition characterized by strong, unpleasant emotional reactions when exposed to specific auditory or visual triggers. While not currently defined within existing classification systems, and not clearly fitting within the framework of extant psychiatric conditions, misophonia has historically been studied most frequently within the context of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms are common in misophonia, but specific factors that confer risk for these symptoms remain unknown. The present cross-sectional study examined whether sensory sensitivity and cognitive emotion regulation facets are associated with co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms in 102 youth with misophonia aged 8-17 years (Nfemales = 69). Participants completed self-report assessments of misophonia severity, sensory sensitivity, cognitive emotion regulation, and emotional-behavioral functioning. In the final model, controlling for all variables, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that sensory sensitivity and age were significant predictors of internalizing symptoms, while sensory sensitivity and the other-blame cognitive emotion regulation facet were significant predictors of externalizing symptoms. Further, findings demonstrated that the positive reappraisal cognitive emotion regulation facet moderated the effect of misophonia severity on internalizing symptoms. Results highlight a strong, consistent relation between sensory sensitivities (beyond sound sensitivity) and psychiatric symptoms in misophonic youth. Further research is necessary to determine mechanisms and clinical variables impacting internalizing and externalizing symptoms within youth with misophonia.

Psychotic Vulnerability and its Associations with Clinical Characteristics in Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Compared to peers, children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are at increased risk of developing psychotic disorders. Yet very few studies have examined early indicators of psychosis in pediatric OCD. In the present study, 52 youth with a primary diagnosis of OCD (Mage = 15.66 [SD = 2.33], 59.6% girls) were interviewed using the Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument Child and Adolescent version (SPI-CY), which is a comprehensive clinical interview assessing both Cognitive-Perceptual basic symptoms (COPER) and high-risk criterion Cognitive Disturbances (COGDIS). Associations between COPER/COGDIS symptoms and demographic and clinical characteristics were examined. Findings showed that COPER or COGDIS symptoms were present in 44% of participants, with no significant difference between girls and boys. Psychotic vulnerability was associated with an earlier age of OCD onset, greater OCD severity, poorer insight, and more contamination/cleaning symptoms. Psychotic vulnerability was also strongly associated with worse psychosocial functioning. Findings suggest that early indicators of psychosis are frequent in pediatric OCD and associated with more severe OCD and poorer functioning. Research examining how psychotic vulnerability is associated with short- and long-term outcomes for youth with OCD is needed.