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Thought disorder in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Han-Joo Lee1, Zoung-Soul Kim, Seok-Man Kwon
1University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-0187, USA. hanjoo@mail.utexas.edu
Journal of Clinical Psychology
|December 31, 2004
Summary
Patients with autogenous obsessions (AOs) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibit more severe thought disorders, similar to schizophrenia patients. This finding highlights differences in cognitive dysfunction within OCD subtypes.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly understood through models differentiating obsession subtypes.
- A proposed model categorizes obsessions into autogenous obsessions (AOs) and reactive obsessions (ROs).
- Disordered thinking and perception are key features in several psychiatric conditions, including OCD and schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and severity of disordered thinking/perception in OCD patients.
- To compare thought disorder levels between OCD patients with primarily autogenous obsessions (AOs) and those with primarily reactive obsessions (ROs).
- To examine these differences in relation to patients with schizophrenia (SPRs) and other anxiety disorders (OADs).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Comprehensive System of the Rorschach Inkblot Test to assess thought disorders.
- Compared four groups: 15 patients with AOs, 14 patients with ROs, 32 patients with schizophrenia (SPRs), and 28 patients with other anxiety disorders (OADs).
- Hypothesized that AOs would show more severe thought disorders than ROs.
Main Results:
- Both patients with autogenous obsessions (AOs) and patients with schizophrenia (SPRs) demonstrated significantly more severe thought disorders.
- Patients with reactive obsessions (ROs) and other anxiety disorders (OADs) exhibited less severe thought disorders compared to AOs and SPRs.
- The findings support the hypothesis that a subtype of OCD (AOs) is associated with more pronounced cognitive disturbances.
Conclusions:
- Autogenous obsessions in OCD are associated with a higher degree of disordered thinking/perception, comparable to schizophrenia.
- This distinction suggests different underlying cognitive mechanisms or symptom dimensions within OCD.
- The findings have implications for understanding the heterogeneity of OCD and for differential diagnosis and treatment approaches.