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Postpy Psychiatrii i Neurologii 2013; 22(4): 279287

Praca kazuistyczna
Case report
2013 Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii

Is trichotillomania a disorder
of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum? A case report
Czy trichotillomania jest zaburzeniem ze spektrum obsesyjno-kompulsyjnego? opis przypadku1*

AGATA NOWACKA, ANTONI FLORKOWSKI, MARTA BRONIARCZYK-CZARNIAK,


JOANNA ACISZ, AGATA ORZECHOWSKA

Klinika Psychiatrii Dorosych Uniwersytetu Medycznego w odzi

ABSTRACT
Objectives. According to current classications trichotillomania (TTM) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by hair loss due
to uncontrolled, impulsive hair pulling. The aim of this paper is to estimate the validity of reassigning trichotillomania to a group of
obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Case report. The case report presents a patient suffering from trichotillomania with concomitant trichophagia. She underwent,
in a clinical setting, a course of treatment with lithium and a TCA as well as clomipramine, which produced partial improvement.
Commentary. It is not only symptomatology and clinical course but also neurobiological and genetic background that mark the
distinction between trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorders, which in the clinical setting implies distinct therapies and
different rate of treatment responders.

STRESZCZENIE
Cel. Wedug obowizujcych klasykacji trichotillomania (TTM) jest zaburzeniem psychicznym charakteryzujcym si utrat
wosw spowodowan niekontrolowanym, impulsywnym ich wyrywaniem. Celem tego opracowania jest ocena zasadnoci reklasykacji
trichotillomanii w pitej edycji DSM do grupy zaburze obsesyjno-kompulsyjnych.
Przypadek. Opis dotyczy pacjentki cierpicej na trichotillomani z towarzyszc trichofagi. Pacjentka zostaa poddana terapii
z zastosowaniem soli litu oraz klomipraminy co przynioso czciow popraw w zakresie przejawianych objaww.
Komentarz. Nie tylko symptomatologia i przebieg kliniczny, ale rwnie to neurobiologiczne i genetyczne odrniaj trichotillomani
od zaburze obsesyjno-kompulsyjnych, co w praktyce klinicznej przekada si na odmienne formy terapii i rny stopie odpowiedzi na
prowadzone leczenie.

Key words: trichotillomania / obsessive-compulsive disorder / obsessive-compulsive spectrum


Sowa kluczowe: trichotillomania / zaburzenia obsesyjno-kompulsyjne / spektrum zaburze obsesyjno-kompulsyjnych

According to the ICD-10 classication trichotil- (B) increasing sense of tension immediately before
lomania (TTM) (F63.3) is a psychiatric disorder cha- hair pulling episode or when resisting it
racterized by a marked hair loss, caused by uncon- (C) experiencing pleasure, satisfaction or relief when
trolled, impulsive hair pulling. It has been classied pulling hair,
into a group of habit and impulse disorders, along (D) Hair pulling which cannot be attributed to other
with pathological gambling, pyromania and klepto- psychiatric disorders, and
mania. Trichotillomania is classied in a similar way (E) signicant distress experienced by the patient or
in the DSM-IV TR and its diagnosis requires the pre- impaired social, professional functioning or in
sence of the following symptoms: other important areas
(A) recurrent hair pulling, which results in noticeable These criteria have not been changed in any sig-
hair loss, nicant way in the recent fth edition of the DSM

1
The study has been nanced from a grant of the Medical University of Lodz, No: 502-03/5-062-02/502-54-123; 502-03/5-062-02/502-54-105.
*
Artyku w jzyku polskim dostpny w wersji elektronicznej (ppn.ipin.edu.pl).
280 Agata Nowacka, Antoni Florkowski, Marta Broniarczyk-Czarniak, Joanna acisz, Agata Orzechowska

classication, but trichotillomania was shifted into the bellious, conictive, outwardly or auto-aggressive.
group of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, They usually have limited social life due to illness-
and its name was changed to hair pulling disorder. -related adverse changes in their social situation.
It is estimated that the TTM problem refers In the pharmacological treatment serotonergic
to 1-3% of general population [1, 2] and has even drugs are used, namely SSRIs [11, 12] SNRIs [13]
greater prevalence among persons under18 years of and clomipramine [14], although Bloch [15] on the
age [3]. In most patients, the rst symptoms of TTM basis of the available literature highlighted the fact
appear in early adolescence [4]. In clinical practice, that SSRIs efcacy in the treatment of TTM sel-
the vast majority of patients are women (up to 90%) dom outweighs placebo. Clomipramine proved to be
[5, 6]. However, this does not necessarily mean that more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms of
women are more likely than men to suffer from trichotillomania, but a large number of side effects
trichotillomania. It is believed that in the case of made it a second-line treatment. Naltrexone, an opio-
men, it is simply easier to hide the hair loss as TTM id receptor antagonist, has been recently tested with
resembles alopecia areata, and male patients suffer- some success in symptom reduction, as demonstrated
ing from TTM may tend to shave the areas where in the studies involving TTM patients [16]. Another
they pull their hair, such as their head. The most drug effective in the treatment of trichotillomania is
common place of hair pulling is the scalp, although synthetic cannabinoid, dronabinol, though the stu-
it may affect virtually every other area of the body dy involved only a small sample of TTM cases [17].
(eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, armpit or pubic hair). There are also some studies evaluating the effecti-
For patients with trichotillomania it often takes sev- veness of drugs modulating dopaminergic transmis-
eral hours a day to pull their hair. They seldom ad- sion, such as bupropion [18] aripiprazole [19, 20], qu-
mit that they manipulate their hair, try to hide the etiapine [21, 22] olanzapine [23, 24], risperidone [25,
lesions and avoid doctor visits. Hair pulling is often 26], haloperidol [27] and pimozide [28]. A promising
accompanied by rituals, such as scratching the scalp, therapeutic measure seem to be the substances that
selecting hair to pull, curling hair, hair shredding or affect glutamate neurotransmission in the nucleus
storing it, and a signicant percentage of patients put accumbens, e.g. N-acetylcysteine [29, 30] and riluzo-
plucked hairs into their mouth and some swallow it le [31]. In trichotillomania, parallel to other impulse
(trichophagia). In extreme cases of a small percent- control disorders, mood stabilizers such as valproic
age of patients, TTM can lead to the formation of acid [32] and topiramate [33] have also been used.
bezoars in the gastrointestinal tract. (trichobezoars) Relatively good results have been obtained by lithium
[7], which in the absence of appropriate treatment therapy [34].
can be a life-threatening condition (gastrointestinal
perforation, obstruction). Among other TTM com-
plications are changes of cosmetic nature, such as CASE REPORT
skin damage and scarring.
Much more of a problem than the medical compli- Ms Z., a 43-year-old patient has turned up at the
cations of TTM are psychological problems and psy- psychiatrists ofce, in March 2012, after a longer
chiatric comorbidity, increasing with the duration of break, complaining of not being able to control the
the illness, with such conditions as anxiety disorders, involuntary hair pulling from her head.
mood disorders, social phobias and personality disor- Interview. Until that time she had been treated
ders. Patients report problems in many areas of func- in various outpatient mental health clinics, diagno-
tioning in the form of: (1) avoidance of social interac- sed with mood disorder, but with little effect, which
tions (2) avoidance of interpersonal relationships (3) often led to arbitrary withdrawal of medication and
problems in carrying out professional responsibilities, cessation of therapy. She was initially treated with
(4) family problems [6, 8]. The severity of trichotillo- escitalopram, at a dose of 10 mg/day. After several
mania usually increases in stressful situations, altho- months her medication was changed to clomiprami-
ugh it also occurs while relaxing (reading books, wat- ne, which Ms Z. took for a short time and possibly
ching TV.) [9, 10]. Psychological studies have shown in a small dose of 75 mg/day. She wore a wig to the
that what may underlie the disorder is a conict be- visit, because her hair was sparse and very short.
tween aims, activities, independence and a sense of According to the patient, she was no longer able
having to defer to a home or school situation. People to pull it as a result of the episode of intense hair
suffering from this disorder are seen as nervous, re- pulling a few weeks earlier (Ill. 1, 2). After a lon-
Is trichotillomania a disorder of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum? A case report 281

Ill. 1 Ill. 2

ger conversation, the patient also admitted that she patient took advantage of cognitive-behavioural the-
swallowed the plucked hair, stating that she did so rapy, but she rejected the proposal. In the absence of
impulsively and could not give reasons for her be- clinical improvement on the outpatient basis, the pa-
haviour. She told the psychiatrist that she was deli- tient was encouraged to continue with the diagnosis
vered at term, by forces of nature, without perinatal and treatment in the inpatient conditions. The patient
complications and her early childhood development reported in the hospital within the prescribed period
was uneventful. She grew up in a complete family, in early 2013.
with an older brother, and remembered her childho- Additional tests revealed iron deciency ana-
od and family relationships as good. She was educa- emia. The image of the two-phase computed tomo-
ted to the level of secondary education, never expe- graphy revealed sections of slight cortical atrophy in
rienced learning or social problems at school. After fronto-temporal area. Physical examination revealed
graduation from the secondary school she took a job resistance in the upper abdomen, and the increased
as an accountant and worked for one employer who tension of the abdominal wall; and abdominal ultra-
dismissed her while she was undergoing psychiatric sound report included slight echoes in communication
treatment. To date, she had no other health compla- with the mucous membrane of the stomach. The EEG,
ints, she received no treatment for any other chronic TSH, FT3, FT4, routine biochemical tests and urina-
conditions and, to the best of her knowledge, there lysis revealed no abnormalities.
was no history of mental illness in her family. Her Mental status examination on admission: Alert,
reinstated outpatient treatment involved an initial fully oriented, with slightly depressed mood and
dose of venlafaxine 75 mg/day, which was gradual- marked psychomotorretardation, well-modulated af-
ly increased to 225 mg/day. After a few weeks, she fect and considerable agitation. She spoke in a hushed
reported a slight improvement in the frequency of voice, her speech was interrupted by crying. Her
hair pulling and amount of plucked hair, but, shor- thought process was logical and goal directed, she de-
tly afterwards, she noted recurrence of symptoms nied any psychotic symptoms. When asked, she denied
in the severity similar to the pre-treatment period. ideation and/or suicidal tendencies. In the Hamilton
After 3 months of venlafaxine treatment, olanzapine Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) she scored 12 points
at a dose of 5mg/day was added, with the primary ob- (mild depressive symptoms). On the obsessive-com-
jective of potentializing treatment, and improvement pulsive symptoms scale (Y-BOCS) she scored 9 points
of sleep disturbances, which the patient complained (16 is considered to be the cutoff point for obsessive-
of for some time. The only positive effect of olanza- compulsive disorder), 2 points each in questions 6, 7,
pine, according to the patient, was the weight gain, 9, 10, and one point in question 8.
which she had found hard to achieve for some time, Psychological evaluation. The examination was
but there was no clinical improvement of the primary carried out to assess the patients personality and
disease. In the meantime it was suggested that the cognitive functioning. The evaluation is based upon
282 Agata Nowacka, Antoni Florkowski, Marta Broniarczyk-Czarniak, Joanna acisz, Agata Orzechowska

the following clinical methods and psychometric visual and motor coordination, visual memory and
tests (standard and experimental clinical trials): con- ability to learn all below average.
versation, interview and observation, personality The analysis of psychological evaluation conr-
questionnaire MMPI-2, urias learning curve, trail med the presence of the following functioning dif-
making test, Stroop test, uckis verbal uency test, culties: variability in mood and tendency to irritabili-
Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test and the Sentence ty, difculty in alleviating negative emotional tension
Completion Test by Sacks and Sidney. During the in- in difcult situations responding with helplessness,
terview, the patient was calm, answered the questions annoyance and lack of initiative, the use of ineffecti-
logically and comprehensively. She revealed the atti- ve ways of coping with stress, anxiety, shyness and
tude of anxiety and withdrawal, and lowered motiva- low self-esteem; reduced capacity in adopting a rm
tion to work after experiencing failure. stance in social relations; a slight weakening of cogni-
The patient achieved the following results: tive functioning in the eld of direct memory, verbal
1. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory uidity and efciency of graphomotor skills that may
(MMPI), validity scales indicated an honest arise from the attitude of anxiety and withdrawal after
attitude towards the study, with no tenden- failure. It was found that the described symptoms are
cy for simulation/dissimulation. Prole code: 2 related to the patients established patterns of behavio-
07138-54/96: Dominating scales: Depression, ur, with characteristics of avoidant and dependent per-
Social Introversion, Psychasthenia. The results sonality disorder, and disorders in the area of habits in
indicated mainly the following: low mood, wor- the form of trichotillomania.
rying, tension, anxiety, low self-esteem, shyness, Hospital treatment. Venlafaxine has been gradual-
tendency for social withdrawal, frequent feelings ly withdrawn and lithium was introduced in the initial
of guilt, tendency for experiencing nervousness dose of 750 mg/day, which was increased to 1000mg/
and irritability, difculty with directly expressing day with controlled concentration in the serum. After
negative emotions, excessive preoccupation with a period of titration of lithium the treatment was au-
her own thoughts and analysis of her own well-be- gmented with clomipramine at an initial dose of
ing, long-term experience of insecurity and fear 75 mg/day, followed by 150 mg/day. No hair pulling
of future, limited ability to adopt a rm attitude episodes were observed in the hospital. The patients
in interpersonal relationships, difculty making sleep quality improved. She also conrmed mood im-
decisions and also feeling of helplessness when provement and decreased liability of affect. After ap-
solving problems. proximately a month in the hospital, the patient was
2. The Rey-Osterrieth Figure Test (copy-34 points, discharged to the gastroenterology ward for possible
reproduction-19.5points): maintained average diagnosis of trichophagia-related complications (sche-
level of perceptual structuring; immediate visu- duled gastroscopy). Further psychiatric and psycho-
al memory capacity on borderline of norm and therapeutic care was recommended in the outpatient
pathology. facilities.
3. Auditory-Verbal Learning Test by uria (AVLT), Further treatment. The patient regularly reported
(6, 8, 10, 10, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, after delay 9): to the visits in the Mental Health Outpatient Clinic
maintained correct attention, learning ability as but she refused psychotherapy. She said that she did
well as short and long-term auditory memory, not pull her hair for a month after leaving the hospital
4. Verbal Fluency Test (I-18, II-9, III-12): categorial but, with time, her habit of involuntary hair pulling
and literal verbal uency as well as semantic and returned, though with lower intensity and concerned
lexical memory below norm, individual hair. Her hair gradually returned to its nor-
5. Trail Making Test by Reitan (TMT) (A-38s and mal appearance (Ill. 3, 4).
B-1min25s): effectiveness of visual-spatial wor-
king memory below average.
6. Stroop Test (I-21s, 0 errors, II-1min7s, 0 errors.): DISCUSSION
maintained speed and accuracy of read words and
verbal working memory, slightly impaired ability The etiology of trichotillomania is unclear, con-
to change the response to the new criteria with no troversial is also its position in the modern classi-
tendency for perseveration of previous reactions, cation systems of diseases and disorders. According
7. Digit Symbol Coding from The Wechsler Adult to ICD-10, TTM belongs to the group of habit and im-
Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) (score=30): pulse control disorders, similarly to DSM-IV which
Is trichotillomania a disorder of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum? A case report 283

Ill. 3 Ill. 4

classify trichotillomania together with impulse con- teria in the TTM diagnosis is conrmed by the fact
trol disorders. In the latest, fth editionof DSM, tri- that among patients who experience increased tension
chotillomania has been reclassied to the group of and relief accompanying hair pulling, these symptoms
obsessive-compulsive and related disorders which are not constant or reproducible in all episodes of hair
we put to discussion in this paper. An additional ob- pulling. Moreover the groups of patients who expe-
stacle in determining the etiology and nosological po- rience tension and those who do not, hardly differ in
sition of this disorder is the small number of studies terms of clinical correlates [41, 42].
conducted on patients with TTM diagnosis [5, 35]. Then how should trichotillomania be classied if
A theoretical construct justifying the reclassi- placing it with obsessive-compulsive and related dis-
cation of trichotillomania in the latest edition of the orders seems controversial for at least a few reasons?
DSM is the notion of the obsessive-compulsive di- Symptomatology. Research on OCD and TTM
sorder spectrum, which would include such disorders indicates certain symptomatological similarities. For
such as Tourettes syndrome, body dysmorphic disor- example trichotillomania patients repeatedly and im-
der, hypochondriacal disorder, explosive personali- pulsively pull their hair, which is often accompanied
ty disorders, eating disorders, intentional self-harm, by the elements of compulsions in the form of ritu-
kleptomania, pathological hoarding or gambling als, i.e. selecting hair, rolling it, putting it in a mouth,
[36-38]. The combination of this group of disorders in swallowing. However, TTM patients hardly experien-
a single diagnostic category is to be based on the simi- ce obsessive thoughts prior to hair pulling and, con-
larity of symptoms, comorbidity observed, heredity, trary to OCD, hair pulling produces the feeling of ple-
clinical course, neurobiological background and neu- asure, gratication [43, 44]. More similarity as far as
ropsychological tests results. The structure of the dia- symptoms are concerned has been observed between
gnostic criteria itself testies against the positioning TTM and conduct disorders, such as nail biting and
of trichotillomania among impulse control disorders. skin picking disorder [45, 46].
Many authors, including the researchers from the Clinical course. The peak incidence of TTM is
DSM-V Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum, bimodal, and peaks at childhood and adolescence, al-
Post-Traumatic and Dissociative Disorders Work though most cases have fallen ill at an early age [47];
Group, have observed that in the DSM-IV-TR diagno- unlike in the case of OCD the distribution of age of
stic criteria, i.e. onset is wider, symptoms can appear in almost every
B (An increasing sense of tension immediately moment of life.
before pulling out the hair or when attempting to re- Comorbidity. Several studies have evaluated the
sist the behavior) C (Pleasure, gratication, or relief frequency of co-occurrence of OCD and potential
when pulling out the hair) are not met in many of the disorders from the obsessive-compulsive disorder
cases [6, 39, 40]. Minor importance of the above cri- spectrum (OCSD). Most of them have conrmed
284 Agata Nowacka, Antoni Florkowski, Marta Broniarczyk-Czarniak, Joanna acisz, Agata Orzechowska

a statistically signicant more frequent coexistence were shown, the correlation was not strong. [66, 67].
of the above disorders with obsessive-compulsive dis- One of the studies focused on a different patterns of
order as compared to controls (individuals without cognitive decits in patients with trichotillomania and
the OCD diagnosis) The OCSD frequency is in the OCD. Patients with trichotillomania had higher de-
range of 16-35% [36, 48, 49]. The prevalence of tri- cits in motor response inhibition and patients with
chotillomania in the studies involving OCD patients OCD lower scores in cognitive exibility [68].
was 4% [50]. Both OCD and TTM are characterized Response to treatment. Both trichotillomania and
by high comorbidity with mood disorders and anxiety OCD are treated with serotonergic drugs. Studies
disorders, but there is a different comorbidity pattern indicate that, in contrast to OCD, trichotillomanias
for each of these illnesses (more frequent depression treatment with SSRIs often proves to be ineffective or
in the OCD group and higher psychiatric comorbidi- produces unstable effects [15, 28]. In both disorders
ty than in the case of trichotillomania patients) [44]. it might be useful to add dopamine receptor to SSRIs
Relatively low comorbidity is characteristic for tricho- [28, 69].
tillomania and other impulse control disorders, such Psychotherapy. Among the therapeutic techniqu-
as pyromania and pathological hazard, which puts es used in TTM are positive motivation, training of
their common etiology into doubt [44, 51, 52]. On the habit self-control and a reward and punishment sys-
other hand high comorbidity has been shown between tem [15, 70]. Some patients suffering from trichotillo-
TTM and stereotypical behaviour such as pathologi- mania achieve partial control over the hair pulling in
cal skin picking [47, 53]. psychotherapy, not by trying to eliminate it comple-
Heredity, genetic factors. In the families of per- tely, but by limiting the pulling only to certain areas
sons affected by TTM, cases of OCD are statistical- or reducing the quantity of hair that can be removed
ly more frequent than in the control group. The study in a single episode [71]. The highest efciency in the
involving 16 patients and their families revealed the treatment of OCD has been demonstrated by behavio-
frequency at the level of 5%, with 0% in the control ural therapy, based on the technique of exposure and
group [54, 55]. Bienvenu stated that among relatives response prevention (EPR), while in the case of TTM
of patients with OCD, all conduct disorders (inclu- it is the therapy based on the training of unlearning
ding trichotillomania, nail biting or pathological skin habits, also effective in Tourettes syndrome and in
picking) are more frequent than in the control group pathological skin picking [15, 72, 73].
[36]. There is little data regarding the genetic relation- In the case discussed here, the diagnostics allo-
ships between OCD and TTM. Mutations in the genes wed us to exclude other than psychogenic causes of
SLITRK1 and SAPAP3 were reported as associated hair pulling. Slightly lowered mood was observed in
with Tourettes syndrome, obsessive-compulsive dis- the clinical picture which did not meet the criteria of
order and trichotillomania [56-58]. depressive episode. The patient showed passive atti-
Neurobiology. The involvement of fronto-striatal tude and displayed features of avoidant personality
circuits is suggested both in OCD and TTM [59-61] disorder. Hair pulling in her case was an impulsive
though it was not conrmed unequivocally by other behaviour but it was not accompanied by obsessive
studies [62, 63]. In patients with trichotillomania, un- thoughts and so her score in the obsessive-compul-
like in OCD, prolactin secretion was not compromised sive scale was relatively low, in spite of considerably
in response to administration of 1- (3-chlorophenylo) affected general functioning. The patient had a li-
piperazine, serotonin receptor agonist, nor were there mited insight into her symptoms, she could not give
abnormalities in concentrations of serotonin metaboli- any reasons for her behaviour and denied that it had
tes in the cerebrospinal uid [64, 65]. anything to do with any external stressors. The ini-
Cognitive functioning. There are studies that com- tial therapy with the use of serotonergic and noradre-
pared the cognitive functioning in TTM and OCD, in- nergic drugs did not bring the expected results even
cluding concentration, memory processes, executive after potentializing of the treatment with dopamine
functions, graphomotor and planning skills. Patients receptor antagonist. Only a combination of a tricyclic
with the diagnosis of TTM and OCD had lower scores antidepressant with lithium led to a satisfactory im-
in tests assessing executive functions, nonverbal me- provement in impulsive hair pulling. As the patient
mory and spatial planning ability. These studies did had no motivation to undertake psychotherapy it was
not allow to formulate clear conclusions, regarding difcult to assess the extent to which this additional
the correlation between the analysed cognitive func- therapeutic method could possibly lead to the reduc-
tions. Even when statistically signicant relationships tion in her symptoms.
Is trichotillomania a disorder of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum? A case report 285

CONCLUSIONS 11. Stein DJ, Bouwer C, Maud CM. Use of the selective serotonin reup-
take inhibitor citalopram in treatment of trichotillomania. European
Both the publications that we have quoted in this Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 1997; 247: 234-236.
12. Iancu I, Weizman A, Kindler S, Sasson Y, Zohar J. Serotonergic
paper and the case we have presented pose a ques-
drugs in trichotillomania: Treatment results in 12 patients. Journal of
tion on how justied is the suggested relationship Nervous and Mental Disease. 1996; 184: 641-644.
between obsessive-compulsive disorders and tricho- 13. Ninan PT, Knight B, Kirk L, Rothbaum BO, Kelsey J, Nemeroff CB.
tillomania. It is not only the symptomatology and A controlled trial of venlafaxine in trichotillomania: Interim phase
clinical course but also (though insufciently studied i results. Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 1998; 34: 221-224.
to date) neurobiological and genetic background that 14. Ninan PT, Rothbaum BO, Marsteller FA, Knight BT, Eccard MB. A pla-
differentiate between these two disorders, which cebo-controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy and clomiprami-
in clinical practice, leads to different therapy mea- ne in trichotillomania. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2000; 61:47-50.
15. Bloch MH, Landeros-Weisenberger A, Dombrowski P, Kelmendi B,
sures and different response to treatment. Even if we
Wegner R, Nudel J, Pittenger C, Leckman JF, Coric V. Systematic re-
accept that trichotillomania is a disorder from the view: Pharmacological and behavioral treatment for trichotillomania.
OCD spectrum, it certainly requires individual ap- Biological Psychiatry. 2007; 62: 839-846.
proach, and its position in the classication should 16. De Sousa A. An open-label pilot study of naltrexone in childhood-
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hopeful that the future directions of research on be- pharmacology. 2008; 18: 30-33.
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19. White MP, Koran LM. Open-label trial of aripiprazole in the treatment
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Nadesano/Submitted: 9.10.2013. Zrecenzowano/Reviewed: 25.11.2013. Przyjto/Accepted: 29.11.2013.


Adres/Address: lek. Agata Nowacka, Klinika Psychiatrii Dorosych Uniwersytetu Medycznego w odzi,
ul. Aleksandrowska 159, 91-229 d, e-mail: nowackaa3@wp.pl

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