Relations Between Executive Functions and Different Symptomatic Dimensions in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

There is no consensus in the literature as to neuropsychological functioning, the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and the definitions of the OCS dimensions. We conducted a cross-sectional study investigating the relationship between executive function and OCS severity in the various dimensions, according to the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale criteria. We evaluated 28 patients with OCS, using eight neuropsychological instruments to evaluate executive function. We found that OCS severity in the contamination/cleaning dimension correlates negatively with executive function, inhibitory control and attentional control. Severity in the hoarding dimension correlated positively with cognitive flexibility, visual processing and logical reasoning, whereas it correlated negatively with the capacity to develop efficient complex problem-solving strategies. There was also a positive correlation between severity in the symmetry/ordering dimension and attentional control. Our findings suggest that the profile of executive function in OCD is defined by the severity of the various OCS dimensions.

Does neuropsychological performance in OCD relate to different symptoms? A meta-analysis comparing the symmetry and obsessing dimensions

“…Of the 10 studies, three were conducted in the United Kingdom (Dittrich, Johansen, Fineberg, & Inge Landrø, ; Dittrich, Johansen, Inge Landrø, & Fineberg, ; Lawrence et al., ), two in South Korea (Jang et al., ; Shin et al., ), two in Brazil (Pedron et al., ; Pinto et al., ), one in Italy (Martoni, Salgari, Galimberti, Cavallini, & O'Neill, ), one in Japan (Hashimoto et al., ), and one in India (Kashyap, Kumar, Kandavel, & Reddy, ).…”

“…Two of the studies contained at least one participant with a co‐occurring tic disorder diagnosis ( n = 1, Shin et al., ; n = 2, Martoni et al., ) and two studies did not provide data on specific comorbidities within their sample (Pedron et al., ; Pinto et al., ). Five studies excluded participants with a co‐occurring depressive disorder, three studies included individuals with a depressive diagnosis but did not provide data on the number of individuals, one study provided percent of the sample with comorbid depression (56.3%, Pinto et al., ), and one study did not provide any data on comorbid depression within the sample (Pedron et al., ).…”

“…Korea (Jang et al, 2010;Shin et al, 2012), two in Brazil (Pedron et al, 2015;Pinto et al, 2011), one in Italy (Martoni, Salgari, Galimberti, Cavallini, & O'Neill, 2015), one in Japan (Hashimoto et al, 2011), and one in India (Kashyap, Kumar, Kandavel, & Reddy, 2017).…”

Instrumentos de Avaliação das Funções Executivas: Revisão Sistemática dos Últimos Cinco Anos

“…Nota-se que a grande maioria das pesquisas analisadas (30 dos 35 estudos) utilizou mais de um instrumento para a avaliação das FE. Foi possível observar que é comum a aplicação dos instrumentos WCST, Escalas Wechsler e Teste de Stroop em conjunto na mesma avaliação, verificando-se essa combinação em cinco dos artigos analisados (Duchesne et al, 2010;Netto et al, 2011;Pedron et al, 2015;Zartman et al, 2013;Lima et al, 2013). Contudo, a combinação mais frequente ao longo das avaliações é a aplicação em conjunto do teste WCST e das Escalas Wechsler, observada em 11 artigos (Duchesne et al, 2010;Freire et al, 2015;Lima et al, 2013;Lopes et al, 2011;Lopes, 2010;Lopes et al, 2013;Martino et al, 2012;Netto et al, 2011;Pavan et al, 2015;Pedron et al, 2015;Zartman et al, 2013).…”

“…No que diz respeito às finalidades às quais destinavam-se às avaliações das FE empreendidas, percebeu--se que algumas pesquisas objetivaram com o uso dos instrumentos comparar grupos clínicos, especialmente comparações entre indivíduos que apresentam algum transtorno e/ou doença e outros sem esses quadros, a exemplo do transtorno do pânico (Bolshaw, Greca, Nardi, Júnior, Fonseca, & Fernandez, 2011), traumatismo craniano e acidente cerebrovascular (Morrison et al, 2013 (Coelho, Albuquerque, & Simões, 2013;Duchesne et al, 2010;Hovik et al, 2015;Lopes, 2010;Martino, Strejilevich, & Manes, 2012;Nunes et al, 2014;Pedron, Ferrão, Gurgel, & Reppold, 2015). Corroborando com os resultados apresentados, Bolshaw et al (2011) afirmam que se nota um recente e significativo aumento no número de publicações em busca de um perfil neuropsicológico de quadros psiquiátricos, tendo sido realizados estudos com os mais diversos transtornos mentais e deficiências.…”