Consórcio Brasileiro de Pesquisa em Transtornos do Espectro Obsessivo-Compulsivo: recrutamento, instrumentos de avaliação e métodos para o desenvolvimento de estudos colaborativos multicêntricos.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the implementation, methods, and initial descriptive results of the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (C-TOC), which includes seven Brazilian sites. METHOD: The initial evaluation protocol is a comprehensive clinical assessment including semi-structure interviews, and the state of art obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) scales, including the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) and the University of Sao Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale (USP-SPS). Training consists of watching at least five videotaped interviews, observing five live interviews and interviewing five patients with another researcher before interviewing patients alone. Reliability among all leaders for the most important instruments was measured after live interviews. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability was 96%. By March 2008, 630 OCD patients had been systematic evaluated. The mean age (+SE) was 34.7 (+0.51), 56.3% were female, and 84.6% Caucasian. The most prevalent obsessive compulsive symptom dimensions were symmetry and contamination. The most common comorbidities were Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety and Social Phobia. The most common DSM-IV impulsive control disorder was Skin Picking. CONCLUSION: The CTOC has established an important network for standardized collaborative clinical research in OCD and may pave the way to similar projects aimed at integrating other research groups throughout the world.