title: Local-global processing in obsessive-compulsive disorder and comorbid Tourette's syndrome.
abstract: Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies implicate attentional difficulties in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but results are inconsistent due possibly to sample heterogeneity and lack of control of comorbid disorders, such as Tourette's syndrome (TS). Nevertheless, it has been suggested that OCD symptomatology may be a result of over-focused attention at a local level. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the ability of OCD patients (pure and comorbid OCD + TS) to process local and global stimuli. Using a local-global paradigm, participants were required to respond to the directed level (local or global) of various stimuli. Results indicate that pure OCD participants were impaired on the global task, whereas comorbid OCD + TS participants had difficulty processing local information. Results are consistent with previously reported lateralisation anomalies and suggest that OCD negatively affects the ability to process hierarchically presented stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Australia. debbie.rankins@mcri.edu.au
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rankins
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Georgiou-Karistianis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*