Neuropsychological impairment associated with compulsive hoarding.
A group of patients with compulsive hoarding (n=30) was compared to a mixed clinical group (n=30) and a nonclinical community group (n=30) on laboratory tests of information-processing features hypothesized to be central to hoarding (memory, attention, and decision-making). Hoarding patients demonstrated slower and more variable reaction time, increased impulsivity, greater difficulty distinguishing targets and nontargets, and worse spatial attention relative to comparison groups. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that slower reaction time and increased impulsivity were significantly related to hoarding symptoms over and above the effect of depression, schizotypy, and other obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. There were no group differences on a test of emotion-based decision-making. Results are discussed in terms of previous findings and theoretical models of compulsive hoarding.
Grisham
Jessica R
JR
University of New South Wales, Australia. jessicag@unsw.edu.au
Brown
Timothy A
TA
Savage
Cary R
CR
Steketee
Gail
G
Barlow
David H
DH
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires