Neuropsychological profile in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder over a period of 4-month treatment.
This study investigated the changes of the neuropsychological functions over a 4-month period of treatment in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty-nine OCD patients and 31 healthy controls were evaluated with neuropsychological and clinical tests. The same tests were readministered 4-months after pharmacological treatment for the OCD patients. At the first series of tests, compared to the controls, the OCD patients were significantly impaired on the immediate and delayed recall of Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT), and on the letter and category of Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA). They also showed a prolonged response time on Trail Making Test (TMT), part A. The severity of OCD measured by Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) correlated well with the performance on the immediate and delayed recall of RCFT and the response time on TMT, part A. After 4-months' follow-up, the OCD patients still showed impairment on the immediate and delayed recall of RCFT and COWA category. This is despite the fact that they had improved significantly on these functions in comparison with the controls over the period of treatment. In addition, an association between OCD symptoms and the performance on the neuropsychological tests was not observed. The neuropsychological profile of the OCD patients found in the present study is consistent with current theories proposing that the frontal-striatal system is the possible pathophysiological mechanism underlying the development of OCD.
Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yeongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea.
Myung-Sun
MS
Kim
Soo-Jin
SJ
Park
Min Sup
MS
Shin
Jun Soo
JS
Kwon
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020280:Sertraline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D005473:Fluoxetine; D017374:Paroxetine; D002998:Clonazepam; D018967:Risperidone; D002997:Clomipramine; D020280:Sertraline