[Cognitive function in the obsessive-compulsive disorder associated with cerebral lesions].
BACKGROUND
Although obsessive-compulsive symptoms are uncommon among patients with neurological diseases, structural neuroimaging (CAT or MRI) disclose focal brain lesions in some patients. However, little is know about the clinical phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and the cognitive deficits that occur in neurological conditions.


OBJECTIVE
To review the cognitive functioning of patients who develop an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in association with focal brain lesions.


METHODS
In the present study, the author review recent studies which suggest that OCD associated with brain lesions is relatively similar to idiopathic or 'functional' OCD (i.e., OCD unassociated with gross brain damage). Idiopathic and acquired forms of OCD are clinically heterogeneous. The content of obsessions and compulsions in acquired OCD depends, at least in part, of the causative lesion, whereas the pattern of cognitive deficits is more homogeneous affecting attention, general intelligence, verbal and visuospatial memory, and executive function.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that the study of different subgroups of patients with acquired OCD would detect differences in the phenomenology of obsessions and compulsions as well as in the pattern of cognitive deficits. Moreover, this approach can improve our understanding about the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying idiopathic OCD.
Berthier
M L
ML
Unidad de Neurología Conductual, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Universidad de Málaga, España. mberthier@telenet.es
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed