Event-related potentials and neuropsychological tests in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies have provided evidence from event-related potentials (ERPs) and neuropsychological testing of abnormal cognitive processing in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to further characterize the cognitive functions of the patients with OCD by utilizing ERPs and neuropsychological tests.


METHODS
ERPs were recorded in a group of 31 drug-free OCD patients without depression and 30 normal controls following verbal auditory stimuli using an oddball paradigm. The specific neuropsychological tests administered to assess cognitive functions in all participants were the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, Design Fluency Test, Controlled Word Association Test (Verbal Fluency test).


RESULTS
The patient group showed shorter P300 duration compared to normal controls. In neuropsychological tests, no significant differences were found between the two groups. Negative correlations between Stroop duration and P300 amplitudes in occipital, parietal, and temporal anterior regions were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Shorter P300 duration may indicate an acceleration in the P300 process, and speeding of cognitive processing, dysfunction of cortico-subcortical circuits, or some combination of all of the above.
Kivircik
Berna Binnur
BB
Department of Psychiatry, Dokuz Eylül University School of Medicine, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey. bkivircik@superonline.com
Yener
Görsev G
GG
Alptekin
Köksal
K
Aydin
Huriye
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*