[Is age at onset associated with executive dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder?]

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Context:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is heterogeneous, with potential subtypes based on age at onset (AAO).
• Previous research indicates cognitive impairments in OCD, but findings are inconsistent, hindering subtype identification.
• Executive functions are crucial for cognitive control and are frequently implicated in OCD.

Purpose:

• To investigate executive function profiles in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) based on their age at onset (AAO).
• To identify specific cognitive deficits associated with early-onset OCD compared to late-onset OCD and healthy controls.

Summary:

• This study assessed executive functions in 30 OCD patients (15 early-onset, 15 late-onset) and 22 controls using five neuropsychological tests.
• OCD patients exhibited lower scores in the Tower of London and association fluency tasks compared to controls.
• Executive function impairments, particularly in frontal lobe functions, were more pronounced in the early-onset OCD group.

Impact:

• Findings support the classification of OCD into subtypes based on AAO.
• Early-onset OCD may represent a distinct subgroup with specific clinical and cognitive characteristics.
• This research aids in understanding the neurocognitive underpinnings of OCD heterogeneity.