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Executive functioning in body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. CNS Spectr 2023; 28:33-40. [PMID: 34313212 DOI: 10.1017/s1092852921000705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess executive functions (EFs) in patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) compared with healthy controls. METHODS Adults diagnosed with BDD (n = 26) or OCD (n = 29) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and healthy controls (n = 28) underwent validated and computerized neuropsychological tests, spatial working memory (SWM), intra-extra-dimensional set shifting (IED), and stop signal task (SST), from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Test performance was compared between groups, and correlated with standardized symptom severity of BDD and OCD. Significance level was set to P < .05. RESULTS There were no statistically significant between-group differences on key outcome measures in SWM, IED, or SST. There was a weak positive correlation between symptom severity and test errors on SWM and IED in both OCD and BDD groups; increased clinical severity was associated with more errors in these tests. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between symptom severity and SST in the BDD group. CONCLUSIONS Patients with BDD or OCD did not differ from healthy control subjects in terms of test performance; however, there were several statistically significant correlations between symptom severity and performance in those with BDD or OCD. More studies on EFs in BDD and OCD are required to elucidate if there are differences in EFs between these two disorders.
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2
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Kim H, Park B, Kim SY, Kim J, Kim B, Jung KI, Lee SY, Hyun Y, Kim BN, Park S, Park MH. Cerebellar Gray Matter Volume and its Role in Executive Function, and Attention: Sex Differences by Age in Adolescents. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 20:621-634. [DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2022.20.4.621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hayeon Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bumhee Park
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
- Office of Biostatistics, Ajou Research Institute for Innovative Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, Korea
| | - Shin-Young Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jiyea Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bora Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyu-In Jung
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Yup Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yerin Hyun
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bung-Nyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Subin Park
- Department of Research Planning, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Korea
| | - Min-Hyeon Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
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3
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The Effect of Mental Fatigue and Gender on Working Memory Performance during Repeated Practice by Young and Older Adults. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:6612805. [PMID: 34646318 PMCID: PMC8505107 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6612805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is one of the most investigated cognitive functions albeit the extent to which individual characteristics impact on performance is still unclear, especially when older adults are involved. The present study considers repeated practice of a visual N-Back task with three difficulty levels (1-, 2-, and 3-Back) in healthy young and older individuals. Our results reveal that, for both age groups, the expected mental fatigue was countered by a learning effect, in terms of accuracies and reaction times, which turned out to benefit females more than males, for all three N-Back levels. We conclude that future WM studies, in particular when relying on repeated N-Back sessions, should account for learning effects in relation to mental fatigue and gender, in both young and older adults.
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Response Inhibition, Cognitive Flexibility and Working Memory in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18073642. [PMID: 33807425 PMCID: PMC8036460 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This study analyzed response inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory in three groups of patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, considering some variables that may influence results (nonverbal reasoning, comorbidity, use of pharmacotherapy). Neuropsychological measures were completed using a computerized Wisconsin card sorting test, Stroop color word test, go/no-go task, digits and Corsi. Significant differences were obtained among groups in cognitive flexibility and working memory variables. The obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) group showed the worst results. The social anxiety disorder group obtained greater effect sizes in visuospatial memory. However, significant differences between groups in visuospatial memory were no longer present when nonverbal reasoning was controlled. Comorbidity influenced interference in the OCD and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) groups. In addition, the executive functions were differently influenced by the level of obsessions and anxiety, and the use of pharmacotherapy. Study limitations include a non-random selection of participants, modest sample size and design type (cross-sectional). The OCD group showed the worst results in flexibility cognitive and verbal working memory. Comorbidity, use of pharmacotherapy and level anxiety and obsessions were variables influencing the performance of executive functions.
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5
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Martínez-Esparza IC, Olivares-Olivares PJ, Rosa-Alcázar Á, Rosa-Alcázar AI, Storch EA. Executive Functioning and Clinical Variables in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020267. [PMID: 33672581 PMCID: PMC7924057 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo J. Olivares-Olivares
- Department of Personality, Assessment & Psychological Treatment, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (I.C.M.-E.); (P.J.O.-O.)
| | - Ángel Rosa-Alcázar
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Ana I. Rosa-Alcázar
- Department of Personality, Assessment & Psychological Treatment, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (I.C.M.-E.); (P.J.O.-O.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-868-883-444; Fax: +34-868-884-111
| | - Eric A. Storch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
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6
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Gaillard A, Fehring DJ, Rossell SL. A systematic review and meta-analysis of behavioural sex differences in executive control. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:519-542. [PMID: 32844505 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Literature investigating whether an individuals' sex affects their executive control abilities and performance on cognitive tasks in a normative population has been contradictory and inconclusive. Using meta-analytic procedures (abiding by PRISMA guidelines), this study attempts to identify the magnitude of behavioural sex differences in three prominent executive control domains of cognitive set-shifting, performance monitoring, and response inhibition. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched. Across 46 included studies, a total of 1988 females and 1884 males were included in the analysis. Overall, males and females did not differ on performance in any of the three domains of performance monitoring, response inhibition, or cognitive set-shifting. Task-specific sex differences were observed in the domains of performance monitoring, in the CANTAB Spatial Working Memory task-males scored statistically higher than females (Hedges' g = -0.60), and response inhibition, in the Delay Discounting task-females scored statistically higher than males (Hedges' g = 0.64). While the meta-analysis did not detect overall behavioural sex differences in executive control, significant heterogeneity and task-specific sex differences were found. To further understand sex differences within these specific tasks and domains, future research must better control for age and sex hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gaillard
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel J Fehring
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.,Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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7
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Bernardes ET, Saraiva LC, e Souza MDM, Hoexter MQ, Chacon P, Requena G, Miguel EC, Shavitt RG, Polanczyk GV, Cappi C, Batistuzzo MC. Cognitive performance in children and adolescents at high-risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:380. [PMID: 32690046 PMCID: PMC7370498 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02751-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive performance has been studied in adults with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and in adult relatives of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Meanwhile, few studies have been conducted with children under the same conditions. This study compared the neurocognitive domains previously associated with dysfunction in OCD, especially visuoconstructive ability, visuospatial memory, executive functions, and intelligence, in children and adolescents at high risk (HR) for OCD (n = 18) and non-OCD controls (NOC) (n = 31). METHODS For the HR group, we considered the first-degree relatives of patients with OCD that present OCS, but do not meet diagnostic criteria for OCD. Psychiatric diagnosis was assessed by experienced clinicians using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and OCS severity was measured by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Neurocognitive assessment was performed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Performance on the cognitive domains was compared between groups using Multivariate Analysis of Variance, whereas performance on the neuropsychological variables was compared between groups using independent t-tests in a cognitive subdomain analysis. RESULTS The cognitive domain analysis revealed a trend towards significance for impairments in the motor and processing speed domain (p = 0.019; F = 3.12) in the HR group. Moreover, the cognitive subdomain analysis identified a statistically significant underperformance in spatial working memory in the HR group when compared to the NOC group (p = 0.005; t = - 2.94), and a trend towards significance for impairments in non-verbal memory and visuoconstructive tasks in the HR group. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest impairments in spatial working memory and motor and processing speed in a non-clinical sample of HR participants. Considering the preliminary nature of our findings, further studies investigating these neurocognitive domains as potential predictors of pediatric OCD are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Teixeira Bernardes
- Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Leonardo Cardoso Saraiva
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Marina de Marco e Souza
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Marcelo Queiroz Hoexter
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Priscila Chacon
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Guaraci Requena
- grid.12799.340000 0000 8338 6359Instituto de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologicas da Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Euripedes Constantino Miguel
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Roseli Gedanke Shavitt
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Guilherme Vanoni Polanczyk
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Carolina Cappi
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Marcelo Camargo Batistuzzo
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, R. Dr Ovidio Pires de Campos, 875, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil ,grid.412529.90000 0001 2149 6891Curso de Psicologia, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e da Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
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8
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Cameron DH, Rowa K, McKinnon MC, Rector NA, McCabe RE. Neuropsychological performance across symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a comment on the state and critical review of the literature. Expert Rev Neurother 2020; 20:425-438. [PMID: 32200686 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2020.1746644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous disorder, with multiple symptom presentations. Delineating the neuropsychological characteristics associated with previously identified symptom clusters may therefore be useful in assisting to better define symptom subtypes of OCD.Areas covered: This review summarizes the existing literature on the assessment of neuropsychological performance in symptom-based dimensions of OCD. Results of 23 studies are described and the methodological issues and challenges present in this body of literature are discussed.Expert opinion: The current state of the literature precludes a meaningful meta-analysis of cognitive dysfunction across the breadth of symptom dimensions of OCD. This is due primarily to significant methodological differences observed between studies, both in terms of neuropsychological measures and symptom subtyping methods employed, and any resulting meta-analytic results would be biased by varying quality of evidence. Future studies addressing these limitations should include more consistent neuropsychology measures and methods of classifying OCD symptoms with the aim of reproducing the results of previous research to identify more concrete patterns of neuropsychological performance across dimensions; best practices and alternative approaches are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan H Cameron
- Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Karen Rowa
- Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Neil A Rector
- Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Randi E McCabe
- Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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9
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Performance in delayed non-matching to sample task predicts the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:338. [PMID: 31822655 PMCID: PMC6904547 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0667-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrical stimulation studies have recently evidenced the involvement of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In addition, lateral OFC is activated in healthy subjects during delayed non-matching-to-sample task (DNMS). In the present study, we hypothesized that OCD results from a specific defect of lateral OFC processing that can be evidenced via a DNMS task. To this end, we compared the DNMS performances of 20 OCD patients vs 20 demographically matched healthy controls. As predicted, our results showed that OCD patients performed worse than healthy controls at DNMS task. To test for the specificity of this behavioral impairment, we furthermore compared OCD patients and healthy subjects on a different task not involving directly the lateral OFC: the delayed match-to-sample task (DMS). As expected, OCD patients are more impaired for both the DNMS and the DMS task, compared with healthy subjects. Moreover, OCD patients tend statistically to perform worse for the DNMS task than for DMS task. Our results suggest the DNMS task specifically target the malfunctioning areas in OCD, such as the lateral OFC. In light of these results, lateral OFC should therefore be the focus of future therapeutic interventions.
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10
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Perna G, Cavedini P, Riva A, Di Chiaro NV, Bellotti M, Diaferia G, Caldirola D. The role of spatial store and executive strategy in spatial working memory: a comparison between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and controls. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2019; 24:14-27. [PMID: 30463498 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2018.1544888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) showed impaired spatial working memory (SWM). We evaluated whether patients and healthy controls (HCs) differed in spatial store capacity, and whether they differed in the relative weight of spatial store capacity and/or executive strategy in SWM. METHODS Thirty inpatients with OCD and 31 age- and education-matched HCs underwent the CANTAB SWM, SRM (a measure of spatial store). The severity of OC symptoms was assessed using the Y-BOCS. Statistical significance: α = 0.05. RESULTS Patients showed poorer performance than HCs in all neuropsychological outcomes. Both poorer SRM and SWM strategy were significantly associated with poorer SWM in the entire sample. No significant interaction between SRM and Group was found, while a significant interaction between SWM strategy and Group emerged; in patients the magnitude of this association was approximately twofold larger than in HCs. OC symptom severity did not correlate with neuropsychological performance. CONCLUSIONS Patients with OCD had poorer spatial store capacity than HCs. However, the weight of poorer executive strategy in SWM was greater in patients than HCs, whereas the weight of spatial store was similar. We provided a direct evidence that an impairment in the executive component might be the crucial factor influencing the poorer SWM of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giampaolo Perna
- a Department of Biomedical Sciences , Humanitas University , Milan , Italy.,b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy.,c Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.,d Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Leonard Miller School of Medicine , Miami University , Miami , USA
| | - Paolo Cavedini
- b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy
| | - Alice Riva
- b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy
| | - Nunzia Valentina Di Chiaro
- b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy
| | - Mara Bellotti
- b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy
| | - Giuseppina Diaferia
- b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy
| | - Daniela Caldirola
- b Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital , Albese con Cassano, Como , Italy
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11
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Let's call the whole thing off: evaluating gender and sex differences in executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:86-96. [PMID: 30143781 PMCID: PMC6235899 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The executive functions allow for purposeful, deliberate, and intentional interactions with the world-attention and focus, impulse control, decision making, and working memory. These measures have been correlated with academic outcomes and quality of life, and are impacted by deleterious environmental events throughout the life span, including gestational and early life insults. This review will address the topic of sex differences in executive function including a discussion of differences arising in response to developmental programming. Work on gender differences in human studies and sex differences in animal research will be reviewed. Overall, we find little support for significant gender or sex differences in executive function. An important variable that factors into the interpretation of potential sex differences include differing developmental trajectories. We conclude by discussing future directions for the field and a brief discussion of biological mechanisms.
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12
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Bragdon LB, Gibb BE, Coles ME. Does neuropsychological performance in OCD relate to different symptoms? A meta-analysis comparing the symmetry and obsessing dimensions. Depress Anxiety 2018; 35:761-774. [PMID: 29920848 DOI: 10.1002/da.22785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigations of neuropsychological functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have produced mixed results for deficits in executive functioning (EF), attention, and memory. One potential explanation for varied findings may relate to the heterogeneity of symptom presentations, and different clinical or neurobiological characteristics may underlie these different symptoms. METHODS We investigated differences in neuropsychological functioning between two symptoms groups, obsessing/checking (O/C) and symmetry/ordering (S/O), based on data suggesting an association with different motivations: harm avoidance and incompleteness, respectively. Ten studies (with 628 patients) were included and each investigation assessed at least one of 14 neuropsychological domains. RESULTS The S/O domain demonstrated small, negative correlations with overall neuropsychological functioning, performance in EF, memory, visuospatial ability, cognitive flexibility, and verbal working memory. O/C symptoms demonstrated small, negative correlations with memory and verbal memory performance. A comparison of functioning between symptom groups identified large effect sizes showing that the S/O dimension was more strongly related to poorer neuropsychological performance overall, and in the domains of attention, visuospatial ability, and the subdomain of verbal working memory. CONCLUSIONS Findings support existing evidence suggesting that different OCD symptoms, and their associated core motivations, relate to unique patterns of neuropsychological functioning, and, potentially dysfunction in different neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Bragdon
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
| | - Brandon E Gibb
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
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13
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Martoni RM, de Filippis R, Cammino S, Giuliani M, Risso G, Cavallini MC, Bellodi L. Planning functioning and impulsiveness in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018; 268:471-481. [PMID: 28466133 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-017-0803-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Planning ability (PA) is a key aspect of cognitive functioning and requires subjects to identify and organise the necessary steps to achieve a goal. Despite the central role of executive dysfunction in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), deficits in PA have been investigated leading to contrasting results. Given these inconsistencies, the main aim of our work is to give a deeper and clearer understanding of PA in OCD patients. Moreover, we are interested in investigating the relationship between PAs and impulsivity traits and other clinical variables. Sixty-eight OCD patients and 68 healthy controls (HCs) matched for sex and age were assessed through the Stocking of Cambridge (SoC), a computerised version of the Tower of London. We examined planning sub-components for each difficulty levels (from 2 to 5 minimum moves). Our results showed that OCD patients needed longer initial thinking time than HCs during the execution of low demanding tasks (i.e. 2 and 3 moves), while the accuracy level between the two groups did not significantly differ. OCD patients required longer initial thinking time also during high demanding tasks (i.e., 4 and 5 moves), but in this case their accuracy was significantly worse than HCs' one. We did not find any association between impulsivity and PAs. Our results supported the hypothesis that OCD patients were not able to retain in memory the planned sequence and they had to reschedule their movements during the execution. Thus, future studies should deepen the interrelation between working memory and PA to better understand the influence between these two cognitive functions and their interaction with clinical variables in OCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Maria Martoni
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta de Filippis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy.
| | - Stefania Cammino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Giuliani
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Risso
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Cavallini
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Bellodi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira D'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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14
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Carlisi CO, Norman L, Murphy CM, Christakou A, Chantiluke K, Giampietro V, Simmons A, Brammer M, Murphy DG, Mataix-Cols D, Rubia K. Disorder-Specific and Shared Brain Abnormalities During Vigilance in Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:644-654. [PMID: 29167833 PMCID: PMC5685008 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often comorbid and share similarities across some cognitive phenotypes, including certain aspects of attention. However, no functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have compared the underlying neural mechanisms contributing to these shared phenotypes. METHODS Age- and IQ-matched boys (11-17 years old) with ASD (n = 20), boys with OCD (n = 20), and healthy control boys (n = 20) performed a parametrically modulated psychomotor vigilance functional magnetic resonance imaging task. Brain activation and performance were compared among adolescents with OCD, adolescents with ASD, and control adolescents. RESULTS Whereas boys with ASD and OCD were not impaired on task performance, there was a significant group by attention load interaction in several brain regions. With increasing attention load, left inferior frontal cortex/insula and left inferior parietal lobe/pre/post-central gyrus were progressively less activated in boys with OCD relative to the other two groups. In addition, boys with OCD showed progressively increased activation with increasing attention load in rostromedial prefrontal/anterior cingulate cortex relative to boys with ASD and control boys. Shared neurofunctional abnormalities between boys with ASD and boys with OCD included increased activation with increasing attention load in cerebellum and occipital regions, possibly reflecting increased default mode network activation. CONCLUSIONS This first functional magnetic resonance imaging study to compare boys with ASD and OCD showed shared abnormalities in posterior cerebellar-occipital brain regions. However, boys with OCD showed a disorder-specific pattern of reduced activation in left inferior frontal and temporo-parietal regions but increased activation of medial frontal regions, which may potentially be related to neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognitive and clinical phenotypes of OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina O. Carlisi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, London
| | - Luke Norman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, London
| | - Clodagh M. Murphy
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, London
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London
| | - Anastasia Christakou
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Kaylita Chantiluke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, London
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London
| | - Andrew Simmons
- Department of Neuroimaging, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (AS), Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Brammer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London
| | - Declan G. Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London
| | | | - David Mataix-Cols
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience(DM-C), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, London
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15
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Reich-Erkelenz D, Schmitt A, Falkai P. Unravelling basic mechanisms in addiction and neuropsychiatric disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015; 265:633-5. [PMID: 26459020 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-015-0645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Reich-Erkelenz
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
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