Related Experiment Videos
Speed and accuracy on tests of executive function in obsessive-compulsive disorder
Robert M Roth1, Jacinthe Baribeau, Denise L Milovan
1Neuropsychology and Neuroimaging Program, Dartmouth Medical School/DHMC, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA. robert.m.roth@dartmouth.edu
Brain and Cognition
|March 31, 2004
Summary
Adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show slowness on executive function tests, particularly those needing self-organization. This suggests frontostriatal dysfunction contributes to cognitive slowing in OCD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Slowness in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often linked to intrusive thoughts or meticulousness.
- Emerging evidence implicates executive functions, particularly those mediated by frontostriatal circuits, in OCD-related slowness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate executive functions and psychomotor speed in non-depressed, unmedicated adults with OCD compared to healthy controls.
- To determine if slowness in OCD is associated with specific executive function deficits.
Main Methods:
- A neuropsychological assessment was conducted on 27 adults with OCD and 27 healthy controls.
- Tests evaluated executive functions and psychomotor speed, focusing on accuracy and response time.
- Participants were non-depressed and unmedicated to isolate OCD-specific effects.
Main Results:
- The primary group difference observed was significantly longer completion times for copying a complex geometric design in the OCD group.
- This finding remained consistent regardless of residual depression or overall OCD symptom severity.
- No other significant group differences in speed or accuracy were noted on the executive function or psychomotor tests.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive slowness in obsessive-compulsive disorder may be most pronounced in executive tasks demanding self-initiated organizational strategies.
- The results support the hypothesis of frontostriatal abnormalities contributing to executive dysfunction and slowness in OCD.
- Future research should explore targeted interventions for executive function deficits in OCD.