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Declarative and procedural learning in individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms
1Division of Psychological Medicine, GKT School of Medicine and Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. d.mataix@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|September 19, 2003
Summary
Individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) traits show deficits in spatial problem-solving and cognitive skill acquisition compared to controls. These findings support a dimensional view of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) individuals may exhibit executive functioning deficits.
- Previous research indicates performance differences on specific cognitive tests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive performance in subclinical OC and non-OC control groups.
- To investigate declarative learning, motor procedural learning, spatial problem solving, and cognitive procedural learning.
Main Methods:
- 25 subclinical OC and 28 non-OC control subjects participated.
- Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, star maze, and Tower of Hanoi (TH3 and TH4) were administered.
- Measures of general intelligence, anxiety, and depression were included.
Main Results:
- No differences in declarative or motor procedural learning.
- Subclinical OC subjects showed poorer spatial problem solving (TH3).
- Reduced cognitive skill acquisition observed in subclinical OC group (TH4).
Conclusions:
- Subclinical OC individuals exhibit specific executive function impairments.
- Deficits may stem from inefficient spatial problem-solving strategies rather than procedural learning deficits.
- Findings support a dimensional model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).