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Cognitive impairment in hoarding disorder: a systematic review
Bárbara P Stumpf1,2, Leonardo C de Souza1,3, Marina S F Mourão1
1Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
CNS Spectrums
|April 28, 2022
Summary
Patients with hoarding disorder (HD) show cognitive impairment only in categorization skills, not in other areas like memory or attention, compared to controls. Further research is needed on social cognition and emotion in HD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Hoarding disorder (HD) is a condition characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions.
- Cognitive deficits are often suspected in individuals with HD, but empirical evidence remains inconsistent.
Approach:
- A systematic literature review was conducted in May 2020, searching MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and LILACS for studies comparing cognitive performance in HD patients versus controls.
- Twenty-two case-control studies involving 1757 participants (ages 41-72) were included, assessing various cognitive domains.
Key Points:
- Contrary to hypotheses, HD patients exhibited significant impairment solely in categorization skills, particularly in task confidence.
- No significant cognitive deficits were observed in HD patients for attention, episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, planning, decision-making, inhibitory control, mental flexibility, language, or visuospatial abilities.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive performance in hoarding disorder appears largely intact, with the exception of categorization skills.
- Future research should investigate the understudied areas of social cognition and the influence of emotion on cognitive functioning in HD.
Keywords:
Cognitioncompulsive behaviorneuropsychologyobsessive-compulsive disordersustained attentionMore Related Videos
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