Organizational strategies mediate nonverbal memory impairment in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND
Previous neuropsychological studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have indicated impaired executive functioning and nonverbal memory. The extent to which impaired executive functioning impacts nonverbal memory has not been established. The current study investigated the mediating effects of organizational strategies used when copying a figure on subsequent nonverbal memory for that figure.


METHODS
We examined neuropsychological performance in 20 unmedicated subjects with OCD and 20 matched normal control subjects. Subjects were administered the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) and neuropsychological tests assessing various aspects of executive function.


RESULTS
OCD subjects differed significantly from healthy control subjects in the organizational strategies used to copy the RCFT figure, and they recalled significantly less information on both immediate and delayed testing. Multiple regression analyses indicated that group differences in immediate percent recall were significantly mediated by copy organizational strategies. Further exploratory analyses indicated that organizational problems in OCD may be related to difficulties shifting mental and/or spatial set.


CONCLUSIONS
Immediate nonverbal memory problems in OCD subjects were mediated by impaired organizational strategies used during the initial copy of the RCFT figure. Thus, the primary deficit was one affecting executive function, which then had a secondary effect on immediate memory. These findings are consistent with current theories proposing frontal-striatal system dysfunction in OCD.
Savage
C R
CR
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown 02129-2060, USA.
Baer
L
L
Keuthen
N J
NJ
Brown
H D
HD
Rauch
S L
SL
Jenike
M A
MA
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D014836:Volition / Q000502:physiology