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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1407872
This article is part of the Research Topic Psychosocial Risk Factors in the Development, Maintenance and Treatment Outcome of Eating Disorders View all 10 articles

Similarities and differences between Eating disorders and Obsessivecompulsive disorder in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review

Provisionally accepted
Michelangelo Di Luzio Michelangelo Di Luzio 1*Domenica Bellantoni Domenica Bellantoni 1Anna Laura Bellantoni Anna Laura Bellantoni 2valeria villani valeria villani 1Cristina Di Vincenzo Cristina Di Vincenzo 1Stefano Vicari Stefano Vicari 1,2Maria Pontillo Maria Pontillo 1
  • 1 Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit,, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Lazio, Italy
  • 2 Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Lazio, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background. The developmental age, comprising childhood and adolescence, constitutes an extremely important phase of neurodevelopment during which various psychiatric disorders can emerge. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Eating Disorders (ED) often manifest during this critical developmental period sharing similarities but also differences in psychopathology, neurobiology, and etiopathogenesis. The aim of this study is to focus on clinical, genetic and neurobiological similarities and differences in OCD and ED. Methods. This study is based on a PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trial (CENTRAL). The research adhered to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Results. The aforementioned search yielded an initial collection of 335 articles, published from 1968 to September 2023. Through the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 324 articles were excluded, culminating in a final selection of 10 articles. Conclusions. Our findings showed both differences and similarities between OCD and ED. Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms are more prevalent in ED characterized by a binge/purge profile than in those with a restrictive profile during developmental age. OC symptomatology appears to be a common dimension in both OCD and ED. When presents, OC symptomatology, exhibits transversal characteristic alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex and poorer cognitive flexibility. These correlations could be highlighted by genetic overlaps between disorders. A comprehensive definition, integrating psychopathological and neurobiological aspects could significantly aid treatment selection and thereby influence the prognosis of these patients.

    Keywords: Eating Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, childhood, adolescence, Comorbidity, Clinical features

    Received: 27 Mar 2024; Accepted: 21 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Di Luzio, Bellantoni, Bellantoni, villani, Di Vincenzo, Vicari and Pontillo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Michelangelo Di Luzio, Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit,, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, 00165, Lazio, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.