Bradykinesia in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequency of bradykinesia in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to see whether patients with OCD who also have bradykinesia display distinctive neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric features.


METHODS
We studied 23 antipsychotic-free patients with OCD and 13 healthy controls. Bradykinesia was assessed with section III of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale. The Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scales-Revised (WAIS-R) was used to assess the Full Scale IQ and to measure visuospatial, visuoconstructional ability and psychomotor speed/mental slowness.


RESULTS
Of the 23 patients with OCD studied, 8 (34%) had mild symptoms of bradykinesia. No relationship was found between bradykinesia and the sociodemographic variables assessed but this motor symptom was significantly associated with the severity of compulsions. Patients with bradykinesia differed from those without: they had a higher frequency of repeating compulsions, and lower IQ scores, performance scores, and WAIS-R subtest scores for similarities and picture completion. No significant differences were found between patients without bradykinesia and healthy controls in any test.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical assessment of motor symptoms in adult patients with OCD often discloses mild bradykinesia sometimes associated with repeating compulsions and poor WAIS-R performance scores.
Department of Psychiatric Sciences and Psychological Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
M
M
Pasquini
G
G
Fabbrini
G
G
Moretti
I
I
Berardelli
G
G
Mandarelli
R
R
Delle Chiaie
C
C
Leone
M
M
Biondi
A
A
Berardelli
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018476:Hypokinesia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires