Neurocognitive indices of executive hypercontrol in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Cognitive impairment, more often involving memory and/or executive functions, has been reported in obsessive-compulsive (OC) patients. The present study aimed at: i) replicating, in an independent sample, previous findings by our group showing neurocognitive slowness limited to executive tasks; ii) assessing the influence of deficit in general cognitive abilities on executive dysfunction.


METHODS
A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered to 30 drug-free OC patients and 30 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Obsessive-compulsive patients performed worse on visuospatial tests, were slower on executive tasks, and performed worse on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. After covarying for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised performance Intellectual Quotient, a lesser degree of executive dysfunction was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Obsessive-compulsive patients exhibit an impairment of executive functions, especially when tasks also require visuospatial abilities. The impairment might reflect a hyperactivity of the executive control.
Bucci
P
P
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy. paola.bucci@unina2.it
Galderisi
S
S
Catapano
F
F
Di Benedetto
R
R
Piegari
G
G
Mucci
A
A
Maj
M
M
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values