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Streptococcal infection, Tourette syndrome, and OCD: is there a connection?

A Schrag1, R Gilbert, G Giovannoni

  • 1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Free Campus, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK. a.schrag@medsch.ucl.ac.uk

Neurology
|October 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This study found no strong link between streptococcal infections and childhood neuropsychiatric disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome (TS). A potential weak association for OCD was noted, but overall evidence remains inconclusive.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • A potential link between streptococcal infections and childhood neuropsychiatric disorders has been proposed.
  • Investigating this association is crucial for understanding disorder etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if streptococcal infections precede the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders.
  • To test the hypothesis of an increased rate of streptococcal infections in affected children.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study utilized a large primary care database.
  • Compared rates of possible streptococcal infections in patients (2-25 years) with OCD, TS, and tics against matched controls.
  • Sociodemographic factors were also analyzed.

Main Results:

  • No overall increased risk of prior streptococcal infection was found for OCD, TS, or tics.
  • A subgroup of OCD patients showed a slightly higher risk of prior infection without antibiotics (OR 2.59).
  • TS/tic cases were more prevalent in areas with a higher proportion of white population.

Conclusions:

  • The study does not support a strong relationship between streptococcal infections and OCD or TS.
  • A weak association or one in a small subpopulation may exist but was not detected due to limitations.
  • Findings align with previous reports on higher rates of TS/tics in white populations.
Abstract

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