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Neuropsychological Slowness in Obsessive–Compulsive Patients

Is It Confined to Tests Involving the Fronto-Subcortical Systems?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Silvana Galderisi ,
Armida Mucci ,
Francesco Catapano ,
Alessandro Colucci D'amato  and
Mario Maj
Silvana Galderisi*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy
Armida Mucci
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy
Francesco Catapano
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy
Alessandro Colucci D'amato
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy
Mario Maj
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy
*
Dr S. Galderisi, Department of Psychiatry, 80138 Naples, Largo Madonna delle Grazie, Italy
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Abstract

Background

Although it is acknowledged that obsessive-compulsive (OC) patients may be slower than healthy controls in performing neuropsychological tests, speed has usually been treated as a confounding variable. It is possible, however, that the slower performance of OC patients is itself the result of a dysfunction of specific neural circuits (in particular of fronto-subcortical systems).

Method

A neuropsychological battery including tests sensitive to fronto- and temporo-subcortical dysfunction was administered to a group of OC patients and a group of healthy controls. Each test provided independent indices of accuracy and speed.

Results

OC patients were significantly slower than controls only when performing tasks involving the fronto-subcortical systems, whereas they did not differ from controls with respect to accuracy indices.

Conclusion

It may be that neuropsychological slowness of OC patients is not merely an epiphenomenon of meticulous concern for correct test execution or intrusion of obsessive thoughts, but reflects the dysfunction of fronto-subcortical systems.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 394 - 398
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

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