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Childhood neuropsychological deficits associated with adult obsessive–compulsive disorder

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.

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.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Mushtaq and M. N. Helal Childhood neuropsychological deficits and adult OCD The British Journal of Psychiatry, December 1, 2009; 195(6): 554 - 555. [Full Text] [PDF]

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