Current Pharmacological Treatments for Childhood Onset OCD

Purpose of review Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition associated with substantial morbidity, comorbidity, and functional impairment in affected youths. Fortunately, efficacy has been established for multiple pharmacotherapies; however, treatment response remains neither universal nor complete; hence, treatment development efforts continue. Recent findings This review aims to examine evidence for recent trials examining augmentation strategies for partial responders to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), the efficacy of adding D-cycloserine (DCS) to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interventions for OCD symptoms associated with infection, and a meta-analytic view of SRI efficacy and dose-response outcomes. Summary Augmentative treatment with SRIs or additional CBT confers additional benefit in CBT partial responders; however, DCS augmentation does not enhance CBT outcomes. Further treatment development is needed to establish effective interventions for infection-related OCD symptoms, and an SRI dose-response curve does not appear to be evident when examining across multiple SRI trials. Implications of these finding for next-stage research efforts and clinical practice are considered.