Treatment strategies for serotonin reuptake inhibitor-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: A network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic debilitating illness. We conducted a network meta-analysis [NMA] to compare the efficacy of all interventions in SRI-resistant OCD from published Randomised controlled trials [RCT]. We performed an NMA of RCTs in SRI resistant OCD from all modalities of treatments; pharmacological, psychological, neuromodulation, neurosurgery including deep brain stimulation. The design-by-treatment interaction inconsistency model within the frequentist framework was adopted with a change in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score as the primary outcome. We conducted sensitivity analyses excluding studies examining neurosurgical interventions, deep brain stimulation, studies in the paediatric population, and studies from a single geographical region. We also conducted analyses of interventions categorised into treatment groups. 55 RCTs examining 19 treatments or placebo involving 2011 participants were included in the NMA. Ondansetron [Standardised mean difference −2.01 (95% CI: −3.19, −0.83)], deep TMS [– 1.95 (−3.25, −0.65)], therapist administered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [CBT-TA] [−1.46 (−2.93, 0.01)] and aripiprazole [−1.36 (−2.56, −0.17)] were ranked as the best four treatments on using the Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking [SUCRA] percentage values (85.4%, 83.2%, 80.3%, 67.9% respectively). While all four interventions had large effect sizes, CBT[TA] narrowly missed statistical significance in our analysis. In sensitivity analyses, deep TMS was ranked as the best treatment strategy for SRI-resistant OCD. The small number of subjects in individual studies, higher confidence interval limits, and wider prediction interval for most agents warrant a cautious interpretation. Considering the principal analysis and sensitivity analyses together, deep TMS, ondansetron, CBT[TA], and aripiprazole may be considered a first-line intervention for SRI-resistant OCD in adults. This work was not funded. The NMA has been registered with PROSPERO, [Registration number: CRD42020173589]