| Abstract: | The behavioral response to an intravenous methylphenidate challenge was evaluated in five patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The affective response was heterogeneous, ranging from dysphoria to mood elevation with abreaction. Stereotypic movements were noted. Three of the five subjects experienced a marked worsening (1.6- to 24-fold increase) in their obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and failed to respond to a subsequent treatment trial with fluvoxamine, a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor. These preliminary findings highlight the need to investigate the role of the dopaminergic system in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. |
