Does cognitive self-consciousness link older adults' cognitive functioning to obsessive-compulsive symptoms?
Caroline Prouvost1, John E Calamari1, John L Woodard2
1Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, USA.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|August 20, 2016
Summary
Cognitive self-consciousness (CSC) links aging-related cognitive decline to increased obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in older adults. This awareness of thinking mediates the progression of OCD symptoms over time.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuropsychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can emerge or worsen in late-life.
- Cognitive self-consciousness (CSC) involves monitoring one's own thinking processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test a risk model for late-life obsessional symptom development.
- To investigate the mediating role of CSC in the relationship between cognitive functioning and OCD symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of older adults (mean age 76.7 years) over 18 months.
- Utilized Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) for cognitive assessment and measures for CSC and OCD symptoms.
- Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed risk model.
Main Results:
- Cognitive functioning, particularly conceptualization, predicted later OCD symptoms.
- Changes in CSC scores mediated the link between initial cognitive functioning and subsequent OCD symptom changes.
- Lower initial cognitive scores predicted increased CSC, which in turn predicted increased OCD symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive self-consciousness plays a crucial role in the intensification of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in older age.
- The findings offer insights into the mechanisms underlying late-life obsessional problems and potential intervention targets.
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