Valproic acid augmentation in an adolescent with comorbid autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case report
KLINIK PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-TURKISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY, cilt.29, sa.3, ss.250-254, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 29 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.5505/kpd.2026.32956
- Dergi Adı: KLINIK PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-TURKISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Psycinfo, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.250-254
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Valproic acid is a mood stabilizer and antiepileptic drug that acts through GABA and glutamate. Glutamatergic and GABAergic dysfunction is thought to be a common mechanism in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The use of valproic acid may be effective in treatment-resistant cases of obsessivecompulsive disorder associated with autism. A 15-year-old male with autism was administered 2 types of SSRIs in appropriate doses and duration separately for OCD. Aripiprazole was added to the treatment of the patient whose obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms did not decrease. The patient who responded partially to augmentation was started on valproic acid. The patient's obsessive-compulsive disorder complaints decreased significantly after valproic acid treatment, and his functionality improved. The valproic acid blood level was 68 mg/L. While the Children's Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score was 36 points before valproic acid treatment, the score decreased to 19 points after 2 months of valproic acid treatment. GABAergic agents such as valproic acid may be considered for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder in autism.