Do pathological gambling and obsessive-compulsive disorder overlap? a neurocognitive perspective

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Pathological gambling (PG) is a severe disorder often linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Previous research has not directly compared the neurocognitive profiles of individuals with PG and OCD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the neurocognitive functioning between individuals with PG, drug-naïve OCD, and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Neurocognitive assessments included executive function, verbal learning/memory, and visual-spatial skills.
• Participants comprised 16 individuals with PG, 31 drug-naïve OCD subjects, and 52 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Increased fragmentation errors on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) were the sole common neurocognitive marker in both PG and OCD groups.
• Pathological gamblers exhibited more nonperseverative errors (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) and ROCF organization issues.
• OCD subjects showed prolonged Stroop test response times and ROCF immediate recall retention deficits.

Conclusions:

• The limited neurocognitive overlap between PG and OCD suggests a need for cautious consideration of PG within the OCD spectrum.
• Distinct neurocognitive deficits in PG and OCD highlight potential differences in underlying mechanisms.