Persistence of impulsivity in pediatric and adolescent patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Increasing clinical evidence points to impulsivity as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, little is known about its persistence over time.

In this study, we evaluated the performance of 12 pediatric patients with OCD on the Stroop color-word task, which assesses impulsivity, and compared this with age- and sex-matched controls. In parallel, we measured changes in hemodynamic responses during the task, using near-infrared spectroscopy. As patients in the OCD group were naïve to treatment, we compared results before and after 3-year medication with serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

We report that, compared with controls, the OCD group had significantly poorer performance and less activation in the prefrontal cortex during the Stroop color-word task. Surprisingly, while serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors treatment reduced OCD symptomology, it did not improve the diminished hemodynamic responses or task performance of these patients.

Our findings suggest that a persistent deficit exists in the inhibitory control of pediatric patients with OCD; they also provide insight into the pathophysiology of OCD.