Anxiety Disorders: Jenike E

Chosak A, Marques L, Greenberg JL, Jenike E, Dougherty DD, Wilhelm S. · OCD & Related Disorders Program, Simches Research Building, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston MA 02114, USA. · Expert Rev Neurother. · Pubmed #18671665 No free full text.

Abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder have many similarities in clinical presentation. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has historically been considered an anxiety disorder, whereas body dysmorphic disorder has been grouped among the somatoform disorders. Researchers in these areas are currently debating whether the similarities warrant the inclusion of body dysmorphic disorder within a proposed category of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. This article describes the association between obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder as evidenced by the emerging literature, and presents theoretical and clinical implications of this association.

Stewart SE, Fagerness JA, Platko J, Smoller JW, Scharf JM, Illmann C, Jenike E, Chabane N, Leboyer M, Delorme R, Jenike MA, Pauls DL. · Psychiatric Neurodevelopmental and Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. · Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. · Pubmed #17894418 No free full text.

Abstract: CONTEXT: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating illness with putative glutamatergic abnormalities. Two separate proximal haplotypes in the glutamate transporter gene, SLC1A1, were recently reported to be associated with OCD among males, but replication is required. OBJECTIVES: This study examines SLC1A1 as a candidate gene for OCD and explores gender influences. It was hypothesized that a significant association between SLC1A1 and OCD would be replicated in an independent sample of males but not females. DESIGN: Family-based association candidate gene study. SETTING: Participants were recruited from tertiary care OCD specialty clinics. PARTICIPANTS: OCD probands and their first degree relatives. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Association of OCD with genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and related haplotypes. RESULTS: Association between OCD and the three-marker haplotype rs12682807/ rs2072657/ rs301430, with overtransmission of A/T/T, was observed in both genders combined (global P = 0.0015) and in males (global P = 0.0031). Single-marker associations with OCD in the region (rs3780412 and rs2228622) demonstrated modest significance (permuted P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a significant association between the SLC1A1 glutamate transporter gene and OCD in a haplotype overlapping with that recently reported.

Stewart SE, Platko J, Fagerness J, Birns J, Jenike E, Smoller JW, Perlis R, Leboyer M, Delorme R, Chabane N, Rauch SL, Jenike MA, Pauls DL. · Psychiatric Neuroscience Research Division, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. · Arch Gen Psychiatry. · Pubmed #17283288 links to  free full text

Abstract: CONTEXT: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating familial psychiatric illness with associated brain abnormalities in the white matter. The gene for oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (OLIG2) is an essential regulator in the development of cells that produce white matter (myelin). The OLIG2 gene is also highly expressed in brain regions implicated in OCD. OBJECTIVES: To examine OLIG2 as a candidate gene for OCD susceptibility and to explore whether comorbidity subtypes of OCD have distinct associations with OLIG2 and the functionally related OLIG1 gene. It was hypothesized a priori that OLIG2 and OLIG1 were associated with OCD regardless of the presence of comorbid Tourette disorder (TD), but not with TD alone. DESIGN: Family-based association candidate gene study. SETTING: Participants and their family members were recruited from tertiary care OCD and TD specialty clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Families of 66 probands with OCD with and without TD and 31 probands with TD without OCD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism markers and related haplotypes. RESULTS: The following 3 single nucleotide polymorphism markers on OLIG2 were associated with the OCD without TD phenotype: rs762178 (minor allele frequency, 35%; P<.001), rs1059004 (minor allele frequency, 44%; P = .005), and rs9653711 (minor allele frequency, 44%; P = .004). A 5-marker haplotype (A/C/T/T/G) constituting these single nucleotide polymorphisms and exonic single nucleotide polymorphisms rs6517137 and rs13046814 was undertransmitted (frequency, 32%; permuted P=.004), whereas the G/A/T/T/C haplotype (frequency, 22%; permuted P=.02) was overtransmitted to probands with OCD alone, with a significant global P value (permuted P=.008). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting an association between OLIG2 and OCD, specifically when TD comorbidity is absent. The findings support a role for white matter abnormalities in the etiology of the disorder.