Association Between Dry Eye Disease and Newly Diagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Psychiatry
• Immunology

Background:

• Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial condition affecting the ocular surface.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by obsessions and compulsions.
• Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between systemic inflammation and psychiatric disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between DED and newly diagnosed OCD in treatment-naive patients.
• To compare ocular surface parameters in patients with OCD versus healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study included 30 treatment-naive OCD patients and 30 healthy controls.
• Ocular surface assessments included the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer I test, and corneal/conjunctival staining (Oxford scale).
• Neutrophil-to-leucocyte ratio (NLR) was measured as an inflammatory marker.

Main Results:

• OCD patients exhibited significantly higher OSDI scores (34.8 vs. 20.8, P=0.001) and ocular surface staining (corneal: 0.9 vs. 0.6, P=0.02; conjunctival: 0.8 vs. 0.5, P=0.04).
• Lower TBUT (9.1 vs. 12.9, P=0.001) and Schirmer I test values (15.7 vs. 18.8, P=0.043) were observed in the OCD group.
• The NLR was significantly elevated in OCD patients (2.4 ± 0.9 vs. 1.6 ± 0.4, P=0.001), indicating increased inflammation.

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between DED and newly diagnosed OCD in drug-naive individuals.
• Inflammation is implicated as a potential underlying factor connecting DED and OCD pathogenesis.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering ocular health in OCD patients and vice versa.