The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 195: 138-141. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.056812
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Childhood neuropsychological deficits associated with adult obsessive–compulsive disorder

Jessica R. Grisham, PhD

School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Tracy M. Anderson, PhD

School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Richie Poulton, PhD

Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand

Terrie E. Moffitt, PhD

Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK and Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

Gavin Andrews, MD

School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Correspondence: Jessica Grisham, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia 2052. Email: jgrisham{at}psy.unsw.edu.au

Declaration of interest

None.

Funding

The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit is supported by the New Zealand Health Research Council. This research was supported by grants from the US National Institute of Mental Health (MH 45070, MH49414), the UK Medical Research Council grant G0100527, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales.

Background

Existing neuropsychological studies of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are cross-sectional and do not provide evidence of whether deficits are trait-related (antecedent and independent of symptomatology) or state-related (a consequence, dependent on symptomatology).

Aims

To investigate whether there are premorbid neuropsychological deficits associated with adult OCD.

Method

Longitudinal data were collected from participants of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Developmental study. Neuropsychological data collected at age 13 were linked with age 32 diagnosis of OCD.

Results

The group who had OCD at age 32 differed significantly from the control group with no OCD on their performance at age 13 on neuropsychological tests of visuospatial, visuoconstructive and visuomotor skills, controlling for gender and socioeconomic status, but did not differ on tests of general IQ or verbal ability. Performance of the group with OCD on tests of executive functioning was mixed.

Conclusions

Individuals with OCD have premorbid impairment in visuospatial abilities and some forms of executive functioning, consistent with biological models of OCD.


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BJP Online, 8 Oct 2009 [Full text]