Categorization and cognitive deficits in compulsive hoarding

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Neuropsychology

Background:

• The cognitive-behavioral model links compulsive hoarding to information-processing deficits.
• Deficits in attention, memory, decision-making, and categorization are implicated in hoarding behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate executive functioning and categorization task impairments in individuals with compulsive hoarding syndrome.
• To compare cognitive performance between hoarding patients, those with mood/anxiety disorders, and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Recruited three groups: compulsive hoarding (N=60), mood/anxiety disorder, and non-clinical controls.
• Administered self-report cognitive difficulty measures.
• Utilized neuropsychological tests for executive functioning, decision-making, and four categorization tasks.

Main Results:

• Hoarding participants reported more cognitive failures, attention, and decision-making problems than controls.
• Hoarding group performed worse on the Stockings of Cambridge (planning ability) compared to both control groups.
• Individuals with hoarding were slower and more anxious during categorization tasks.

Conclusions:

• Specific executive functioning deficits, particularly in planning and categorization, are associated with compulsive hoarding.
• These findings support the role of cognitive impairments in the challenges faced by individuals with hoarding disorder in organizing possessions.