Our results suggest the importance of brain maturation timing in which exposure to cannabis occurs. The COMT Val158Met genotype seems to modulate the association between cannabis and age at onset of psychotic disorders. These results are consistent with previous studies.

ResumoContexto: A tricotilomania (TTM) caracteriza-se pelo ato de arrancar, de forma recorrente, os próprios cabelos por prazer, gratificação ou alívio de tensão, acarretando perda capilar perceptível. A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Hairpulling Scale é um instrumento utilizado recentemente em muitos estudos para avaliar sintomas de TTM. Objetivo: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo adaptar essa escala para o idioma português. Métodos: Envolveu cinco etapas: (1) tradução; (2) retradução; (3) revisão técnica e avaliação das equivalências semântica e conceitual por especialistas em saúde mental; (4) avaliação do instrumento por estudantes, por meio da avaliação do grau de compreensão e (5) análise da consistência interna do instrumento pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. Resultados: O instrumento foi traduzido e adaptado para o idioma português. Demonstrou ser de fácil compreensão e o valor da consistência interna correspondeu a 0,96. Conclusão: O instrumento encontra-se traduzido e adaptado para o idioma português. São necessárias análises de equivalência de mensuração e reprodutibilidade.Toledo EL, et al. / Rev Psiq Clín. 2011;38(5):178-83 Palavras-chave: Tricotilomania, adaptação transcultural, escalas, psicometria, estudos de validação. AbstractBackground: Trichotillomania (TTM) is characterized by the act of pulling out, in a recurrent way, your own hair for pleasure, gratification or tension release, leading to a perceptible hair loss, and it is included in the Impulse Control Disorders Unclassified Elsewhere of the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 1994) section. The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Hairpulling Scale is an instrument used recently in many studies to assess trichotillomania symptoms. Objective: The present paper aims to adapt this scale into the Portuguese language. To cross-culturally adapt the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Hairpulling Scale to Portuguese and evaluate its internal consistency. This instrument aims to evaluate Trichotillomania. Methods: The work consisted of five steps: (1) translation; (2) back-translation; (3) peer review and evaluation of semantic and conceptual equivalences using experts; (4) instrument evaluation through a sample of students, by evaluating their level of understanding; and (5) analysis of the instrument's internal consistency through Cronbach's a-coefficient. Results: The instrument was translated and adapted to Portuguese, and shown to be easily understood, with an internal consistency value of 0.96. Discussion: The instrument is now translated and adapted to Portuguese. Measurement and reproducibility analyses are needed.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01968343.

ResumoContexto: Relatada desde a Antiguidade, a tricotilomania (TTM) somente na última década despertou maior interesse clínico, sendo incluída no DSM-IV-TR (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4 th Text Revision) como um transtorno do controle dos impulsos não especificado. Dados recentes estimam uma prevalência em torno de 3%, indicando uma incidência mais comum do que se imaginava. Aspectos clínicos e terapêuticos ainda não estão totalmente definidos. Objetivo: Revisão sistemática da literatura de vários aspectos da tricotilomania pertinentes à teoria clínica e prática. Método: Os termos "trichotillomania", "epidemiology", "clinical characteristics", "etiology", "comorbidity" e "treatment" foram consultados nas bases de dados Medline/PubMed, Lilacs, PsycINFO e Cochrane Library. Resultados: Pesquisas com populações não clínicas sugerem que a TTM é mais comum do que se acreditava. Aspectos fenomenológicos, taxonômicos, comorbidades e possibilidades terapêuticas são discutidos. Conclusão: Apesar de um crescente número de estudos recentes, questões clínicas e terapêuticas permanecem em aberto. Com base nesta revisão da literatura, sugerem-se direções para diagnóstico, tratamento e futuras pesquisas.Toledo EL, et al. / Rev Psiq Clín. 2010;37(6):251-9 Palavras-chave: Tricotilomania, etiologia, epidemiologia, diagnóstico, tratamento. AbstractBackground: Recognized since antiquity, only within the last decade has the subject of trichotillomania provoked any larger clinical interest since it has been included in the DSM-IV-TR (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4 th Text Revision) as a disturbance of the impulse-control disorders not elsewhere classified. Recent data estimates its prevalence at around 3%. Although more common than it was imagined before, clinical and therapeutic aspects are still not well defined. Objective: Systematic revision in the literature of several aspects of trichotillomania and its clinical and practical theory. Method: The term "trichotillomania", "its epidemiology", "clinical characteristics", "etiology", "comorbidity" and "treatment" were searched in the data bases of Medline/ PubMed, Lilacs, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library. Results: Research with no clinical populations suggests that TTM is more common than it was previously suspected. Phenomenological and taxonomical aspects, comorbidity as well as therapeutic possibilities are discussed. Conclusion: Despite a growing number of recent studies, clinical and therapeutic aspects remain undefined. Based on this literature's review, directions are suggested concerning diagnosis, treatment and future research.

IntroductionDifferent studies have confirmed the association between cannabis use and psychosis and, also, the relationship between age at first cannabis use and age at onset of psychosis (Henquet et al 2005, Barnes et al 2006). In a young psychiatric sample, we aimed to investigate the correlation between cannabis use and the age at onset of psychotic and non-psychotic symptoms and whether this relationship is modulated by the genetic variability at COMT, CNR1 and CHRNA7genes.MethodsThe sample comprised 157 Caucasian patients (mean age: 17.01 (3.6)) diagnosed following DSM-IV-TR criteria: 80 patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, 77 patients with affective or conduct disorders. Cannabis use was assessed with UNICA-A and DIGS scales (Nurnberger 1994) and 49% individuals were classified as consumers. SNPs were genotyped using Taqman 5′-exonuclease assays.ResultsWe observed a positive relationship between age at first cannabis use and age at onset in, both, schizophrenia-spectrum (β = 1.44 p < 0.001) and other psychiatric disorders (β = 0.56 p < 0.002). An interaction was observed between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and cannabis use specifically within schizophrenia-spectrum disorders’ group (β = −2.72 p = 0.04), with Val/Val genotype carriers showing an earlier age of onset than Val/Met carriers, and these, lower than the Met/Met carriers. No modulation effect of CNR1 or CHRNA7 polymorphisms was observed.ConclusionsOur results seem to indicate the importance of maturation timing and brain development in which exposition to cannabis occurs. We provide new evidence about the COMT modulation effect on the association between cannabis use and age at onset of symptoms, specifically in individuals affected by schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

A Valquíria Dias, pela revisão e diagramação deste texto, fases as quais os sentidos já estão contaminados pelo vício do tempo percorrido na elaboração deste estudo. Ao José Guilherme Nogueira da Silva, pela paciência e compreensão durante todo o tempo que foi necessário para gerar este trabalho, principalmente, as noites mal dormidas.