Executive Functioning and Clinical Variables in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

Background: Cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, and working memory are considered the main mechanisms responsible for executive control. This study examined differences in cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) relative to a control group. Method: A total of 62 obsessive-compulsive participants (OCD = 32; healthy control = 32) aged between 17 and 56 years old (M = 33.16, SD = 9.23) were administered the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Color–Word Test, Go/No-Go Task, Digit Test, and Corsi Block Test. Clinician-rated and self-reported obsessive–compulsive symptom severity, and anxiety, depression, and obsessive beliefs were evaluated. Results: The control group performed better than the OCD group in tasks involving cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and visuospatial working memory. Anxiety and obsessive beliefs influenced the participants’ performance on inhibition and working memory tasks. Similarly, comorbidity also influenced inhibition and working memory. In addition, the use of pharmacotherapy and the degree of OCD symptom severity influenced verbal working memory. Conclusions: Cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and visuospatial working memory deficits may be endophenotypes of OCD but require further examination for specificity. OCD severity, comorbidity patterns, anxiety, and obsessive beliefs may influence performance.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Visuospatial Memory Stimulation Using Virtual Reality in Head and Neck Cancer Patients—Pilot Study

“…In our study, no statistically significant differences were observed between the pre- and post-tests. Based on the study by Martinez-Esparza et al (2021), which used the CORSI test in two forms, one may wonder whether the backward subtype of the test would be more sensitive to the possible changes in the working memory functioning of cancer patients [ 32 ].…”

Obsessive‐compulsive disorder: Etiology, neuropathology, and cognitive dysfunction

“…One key example of a memory impairment in OCD is that of nonverbal visuospatial memory, which involves maintaining and processing visual and spatial information (Nikolova & Macken, 2016). Indeed, one meta‐analysis concluded that OCD patients exhibit severe and consistent visuospatial memory impairments compared to healthy controls (Shin et al., 2014; for other meta‐analyses, see Abramovitch et al., 2013; Bora, 2020; see also, Katrin Kuelz et al., 2006; Martínez‐Esparza et al., 2021; Vandborg et al., 2015).…”

“…It has been suggested that the intrusive thoughts and repetitive rituals in OCD may reflect an inability to control and inhibit these cognitions and behaviors, and that as such, OCD can be seen as a disorder of cognitive and behavioral inhibitory failures (Chamberlain et al, 2005). Consistent with this view, metaanalyses have found response inhibition impairments in OCD (e.g., Abramovitch et al, 2013;Lipszyc & Schachar, 2010;Snyder et al, 2015; see also Martínez-Esparza et al, 2021).…”

Visuospatial working memory capacity moderates the relationship between anxiety and OCD related checking behaviors

“…Our findings suggest that patients with OCD had impaired VWM capacity which is consistent with previous work in this area ( 5 , 21 , 45 ). Martínez-Esparza et al ( 46 ) reported patients with OCD performed more poorly on measures of visuospatial working memory than control groups. Moreover, a meta-analysis showed that impairments in visuospatial memory are more pronounced in patients with OCD than are deficits in inhibition and set-shifting ( 43 ).…”