Neurocognitive indices of executive hypercontrol in obsessive-compulsive disorder

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment, more often involving memory and/or executive functions, has been reported in obsessive-compulsive (OC) patients. The present study aimed at: i) replicating, in an independent sample, previous findings by our group showing neurocognitive slowness limited to executive tasks; ii) assessing the influence of deficit in general cognitive abilities on executive dysfunction. METHOD: A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered to 30 drug-free OC patients and 30 healthy controls. RESULTS: Obsessive-compulsive patients performed worse on visuospatial tests, were slower on executive tasks, and performed worse on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. After covarying for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised performance Intellectual Quotient, a lesser degree of executive dysfunction was observed. CONCLUSION: Obsessive-compulsive patients exhibit an impairment of executive functions, especially when tasks also require visuospatial abilities. The impairment might reflect a hyperactivity of the executive control.