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Depression accounts for executive function deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
M R Basso1, R A Bornstein, F Carona
1Department of Psychology, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104, USA. michael-basso@utulsa.edu
Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology
|November 29, 2001
Summary
Depression severity, not obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), significantly impacts executive function deficits in individuals with OCD. Sensory-motor deficits in OCD appear linked to basal ganglia and orbital frontal dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is linked to basal ganglia and orbital frontal dysfunction.
- Depression frequently co-occurs with OCD, yet its impact on cognitive deficits is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct contribution of depression to executive function impairments in OCD.
- To differentiate cognitive deficits related to OCD from those associated with comorbid depression.
Main Methods:
- Administered a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery to 20 adults with OCD and 31 controls.
- Assessed depressive symptom severity using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory depression scale.
Main Results:
- OCD patients exhibited executive function and sensory-motor deficits.
- Depression severity predicted executive function deficits, while OCD presence predicted sensory-motor deficits.
Conclusions:
- Executive function abnormalities in OCD are primarily associated with comorbid depressive severity.
- Sensory-motor deficits in OCD are more indicative of basal ganglia/orbital frontal dysfunction.