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Signs of central nervous system dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder
E Hollander1, E Schiffman, B Cohen
1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032.
Archives of General Psychiatry
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with neurological soft signs indicating central nervous system dysfunction. These signs correlate with symptom severity, suggesting neurological deficits in some OCD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has known links to neurological dysfunction.
- Previous studies noted inconsistent neurological abnormalities in OCD patients.
- Neurological soft signs are nonlocalizing indicators of central nervous system dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neurological soft signs in medication-free adults with OCD.
- To compare soft signs between OCD patients and healthy controls.
- To explore correlations between soft signs and OCD symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Studied 41 medication-free OCD patients and 20 matched controls.
- Assessed 20 tasks measuring fine motor coordination, involuntary movements, sensory, and visuospatial function.
- Utilized DSM-III-R criteria for OCD diagnosis.
Main Results:
- OCD group showed significantly more neurological soft signs.
- Abnormalities were noted in fine motor skills, involuntary/mirror movements, and visuospatial function.
- Soft signs correlated with obsession severity and visual memory deficits, potentially indicating right hemispheric dysfunction in some.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the presence of neurological deficits in some individuals with OCD.
- Further research is needed to determine if these neurological findings are specific to OCD or common in other psychiatric disorders.