title: Visuospatial abilities, memory, and executive functioning in trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: Few studies have compared neuropsychological functioning in trichotillomania (TTM) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In OCD, most studies suggest abnormal visuospatial abilities, memory, and executive functioning. We compared 23 TTM, 21 OCD and 26 healthy control individuals on neuropsychological tasks assessing these abilities. Neither the TTM nor the OCD groups suffered from generalized neuropsychological deficits compared to the healthy control group. TTM participants showed increased perseveration on the Object Alternation Task suggesting difficulties with response flexibility. OCD participants showed impaired ability to learn from feedback on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Other executive functions, as well as memory and visuospatial abilities were unimpaired in TTM and OCD. Our data suggest that TTM and OCD are characterized by different patterns of neuropsychological dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, OCD Clinic, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bohne
authors.forename: Cary R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deckersbach
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Keuthen
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jenike
authors.forename: Brunna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tuschen-Caffier
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*