Comparison of putative intermediate phenotypes in schizophrenia patients with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder: examining evidence for the schizo-obsessive subtype

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is estimated to occur in up to 30% of patients with schizophrenia. Whether this subgroup of patients is cognitively, affectively, or physiologically distinct remains unclear. 204 schizophrenia patients, 15 who also met criteria for a diagnosis of OCD, and 147 healthy controls were examined on several intermediate phenotypes. The patient groups did not differ from each other except that the co-morbid group exhibited an elevated rate of eye-tracking dysfunction. Results suggest that OCD-co-morbid patients did not comprise a distinct subgroup based on the measures studied here, although systematic assessment of larger cohorts is warranted.