Abnormal Anhedonia as a Potential Endophenotype in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequently associated with cognitive impairments, particularly in executive functions.
• Anhedonia, a symptom reflecting altered emotion regulation, is increasingly recognized in OCD.
• The comorbidity of executive dysfunction and anhedonia in OCD warrants further investigation into their potential as trait markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of executive function in individuals with OCD.
• To evaluate the significance of anhedonia in OCD and its correlation with symptom severity.
• To explore whether anhedonia may serve as a trait marker for OCD.

Main Methods:

• A family-based study involving 60 OCD patients, 30 unaffected first-degree relatives (FDRs), and 60 healthy controls (HCs).
• Participants underwent psychometric testing for depression, anxiety, and anhedonia.
• Cognitive assessment included the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT) for executive function evaluation.

Main Results:

• OCD patients and FDRs exhibited significantly lower anticipatory and consummatory pleasure scores compared to HCs.
• Anticipatory anhedonia severity positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, independent of depression and anxiety.
• OCD patients and FDRs demonstrated impaired performance on the WCST, with more errors and fewer categories completed, and showed slower color naming on the SCWT compared to HCs.

Conclusions:

• The study identified dampened pleasure and cognitive dysfunction in OCD patients.
• Similar findings of reduced consummatory pleasure in both OCD patients and FDRs suggest anhedonia as a potential endophenotype for OCD.
• These results highlight the interconnectedness of emotional and cognitive deficits in the pathophysiology of OCD.