Objective: To establish frequency of self-reported obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in patients with functional movement disorders (FMD).
Background: FMD are associated with a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities such as depression and anxiety. While several studies also reported a higher prevalence of Obsessive-compulsive personality, the prevalence of comorbid Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in FMD is not known. Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory – Revised (OCI-R) is a validated tool for assessing OCS, whilst the cut-off score ≥ 21 is recommended as indicative of clinically significant OCD.
Method: One hundred and forty-one consecutive patients with clinically established FMD (mean age 44.8 years (SD, 12), 101 females) completed the OCI-R. Motor symptom severity was assessed using The Simplified FMD Rating Scale (S-FMDRS). All patients completed questionnaires for depression, anxiety, pain, fatigue, cognitive complaints, health-related quality of life, and childhood trauma. Personality traits were assessed using The Big Five questionnaire. Patients with high (≥ 21) and low (<21) OCI-R scores were compared for differences in these clinical characteristics and risk factors.
Results: Thirty-nine % of FMD patients (95% CI 31 to 47.6) had OCI-R score ≥ 21, the mean OCI-R score was 18.6 (SD, 12). Patients with OCI-R score ≥ 21 had significantly higher scores of depression and anxiety (P<0.001) and lower quality of life (P<0.01) compared to patients with OCI-R scores <21. No differences were found in S-FMDRS, age of FMD onset, FMD duration, self-reported pain, fatigue, and cognitive complaints. OCI-R scores ≥ 21 were associated with higher neuroticism (P<0.01) and lower extraversion (P<0.05), no differences were found in childhood trauma scores.
Conclusion: A large proportion of FMD patients reported high rates of OCS as indicative of OCD compared to population prevalence (2.5%) along with a higher anxiety and depression and lower quality of life. Establishing clinical diagnosis and appropriate treatment of comorbid OCD may be important for FMD patients. Moreover, the association of FMD and OCS raises the possibility of common pathophysiological mechanisms and genetic risk factors which should be further addressed.
Supported by the Czech Ministry of Health Project AZV NU20-04-0332.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
L. Novakova, J. Anyz, Z. Forejtová, M. Slovak, T. Rosikova, G. Vechetova, E. Ruzicka, T. Serranova. Increased prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in functional movement disorders [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/increased-prevalence-of-obsessive-compulsive-symptoms-in-functional-movement-disorders/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/increased-prevalence-of-obsessive-compulsive-symptoms-in-functional-movement-disorders/