An evaluation of treatment response and remission definitions in adult obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and individual-patient data meta-analysis

Divya Ramakrishnan, Luis C. Farhat, Edoardo F.Q. Vattimo, Jessica L.S. Levine, Jessica A. Johnson, Bekir B. Artukoglu, Angeli Landeros-Weisenberger, Abraham Zangen, Antoine Pelissolo, Carlos A. Carlos, Christian Rück, Daniel L.C. Costa, David Mataix-Cols, David Shannahoff-Khalsa, David F. Tolin, Elham Zarean, Elisabeth Meyer, Emily R. Hawken, Eric A. Storch, Erik AnderssonEuripedes C. Miguel, Giuseppe Maina, James F. Leckman, Jerome Sarris, John S. March, Juliana B. Diniz, Kenneth Kobak, Luc Mallet, Nienke C.C. Vulink, Revital Amiaz, Rodrigo Yacubian Fernandes, Roseli G. Shavitt, Sabine Wilhelm, Shahrokh Golshan, Sophie Tezenas du Montcel, Stefano Erzegovesi, Upasana Baruah, William M. Greenberg, Yuki Kobayashi, Michael H. Bloch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Introduction: Expert consensus operationalized treatment response and remission in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as a Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) reduction ≥35% and score ≤12 with ≤2 on Clinical Global Impressions Improvement (CGI-I) and Severity (CGI-S) scales, respectively. However, there has been scant empirical evidence supporting these definitions. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) in adults with OCD to determine optimal Y-BOCS thresholds for response and remission. We estimated pooled sensitivity/specificity for each percent reduction threshold (response) or posttreatment score (remission) to determine response and remission defined by a CGI-I and CGI-S ≤ 2, respectively. Results: Individual participant data from 25 of 94 eligible RCTs (1235 participants) were included. The optimal threshold for response was ≥30% Y-BOCS reduction and for remission was ≤15 posttreatment Y-BOCS. However, differences in sensitivity and specificity between the optimal and nearby thresholds for response and remission were small with some uncertainty demonstrated by the confidence ellipses. Conclusion: While the empirically derived Y-BOCS thresholds in our meta-analysis differ from expert consensus, given the predominance of data from more recent trials of OCD, which involved more refractory participants and novel treatment modalities as opposed to first-line therapies, we recommend the continued use of the consensus definitions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)387-397
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Psychiatric Research
Volume173
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

  • Clinical trials
  • Meta analysis
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Statistical analysis
  • Systematic review
  • Threshold determination

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