Estudos recentes têm sugerido a existência de disfunção neurológica no Distúrbio Obsessivo-Compulsivo (DOC). O objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar o valor clinico do exame neurológico em pacientes com esta patologia. Quinze pacientes com diagnóstico de DOC (cinco dos quais em uso de clomipramina) e 15 controles foram submetidos a exame neurológico detalhado, incluindo avaliação de sinais neurológicos leves. Onze pacientes (73,3%) e quatro controles (26.7%) apresentaram anormalidades ao exame. No grupo de pacientes, as alterações principais foram reflexo palmomentoniano (seis casos), movimentos em espelho (cinco casos), agrafestesia e disdiadococinesia (três casos). Dos quatro pacientes com exame neurológico normal, três estavam em uso de clomipramine. Entre os controles, o achado principal foi o reflexo palmomentoniano. Estes resultados, mesmo que preliminares, reforçam o interesse e a utilidade de se realizar exame neurológico detalhado no DOC.

Recent studies suggest the occurrence of a neurological dysfunction in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The purpose of the present study was to verify the clinical value of a neurological evaluation in patients with the disease. We submitted 15 patients with OCD (five of whom were under clomipramine) and 15 controls in a detailed neurological examination, including assessment of the neurological soft-signs. Eleven patients (73.3 percent) and four controls (26.7 percent) presented abnormalities on examination. The main findings among the patients were: palmomental reflex (six cases); mirror movements (five cases); agraphestesia and dysdiadochokinesia (three cases). Three out of the four patients who had a normal examination were on clomipramine. Palmomental reflex was the main finding among the controls. These results, although preliminary, stress the interest and usefulness of performing a detailed neurological examination in OCD.