Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Elderly

Four cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder arising in late life in association with a presumed organic aetiology are described. Three of the four had brief episodes of OCD earlier in their lives. Neuropsychological assessment demonstrated impairments in verbal fluency and visuo-spatial tasks. No case exhibited global intellectual impairment. The two patients who complied with appropriate treatment became asymptomatic after 4–6 months.

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Cognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analysis

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291713001803 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 1121-1130 ◽

Cited By ~ 133

Author(s):

N. Y. Shin ◽

T. Y. Lee ◽

E. Kim ◽

J. S. Kwon

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Future Research ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Pubmed Database

BackgroundSubstantial empirical evidence has indicated impairment in the cognitive functioning of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) despite inconsistencies. Although several confounding factors have been investigated to explain the conflicting results, the findings remain mixed. This study aimed to investigate cognitive dysfunction in patients with OCD using a meta-analytic approach.MethodThe PubMed database was searched between 1980 and October 2012, and reference lists of review papers were examined. A total of 221 studies were identified, of which 88 studies met inclusion criteria. Neuropsychological performance and demographic and clinical variables were extracted from each study.ResultsPatients with OCD were significantly impaired in tasks that measured visuospatial memory, executive function, verbal memory and verbal fluency, whereas auditory attention was preserved in these individuals. The largest effect size was found in the ability to recall complex visual stimuli. Overall effect estimates were in the small to medium ranges for executive function, verbal memory and verbal fluency. The effects of potentially confounding factors including educational level, symptom severity, medication status and co-morbid disorders were not significant.ConclusionsPatients with OCD appear to have wide-ranging cognitive deficits, although their impairment is not so large in general. The different test forms and methods of testing may have influenced the performance of patients with OCD, indicating the need to select carefully the test forms and methods of testing used in future research. The effects of various confounding variables on cognitive functioning need to be investigated further and to be controlled before a definite conclusion can be made.

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Treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder in the elderly: A review and case example

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/0005-7916(94)90001-9 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 95-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

John E. Calamari ◽

Samantha D. Faber ◽

Brian L. Hitsman ◽

Christopher J. Poppe

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

The Elderly ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

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Three Cases of Pharmacotherapy of Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder in the Elderly

The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease ◽

10.1097/00005053-199110000-00009 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 179 (10) ◽

pp. 634-635 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Linda S. Austin ◽

Joseph J. Zealberg ◽

R Bruce Lydiard

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

The Elderly ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

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Neuropsychological Assessment in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.4103/0253-7176.155624 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 205-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Adarsh Kohli ◽

Devender Kumar Rana ◽

Nitin Gupta ◽

Parmanand Kulhara

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Neuropsychological Assessment ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

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Impaired executive functions in paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder patients

Acta Neuropsychiatrica ◽

10.1111/j.1601-5215.2011.00562.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 272-281 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Yasemen Isık Taner ◽

Emel Erdogan Bakar ◽

Ozgur Oner

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Test Scores ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Paediatric Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Fluency Test

Isık Taner Y, Erdogan Bakar E, Oner O. Impaired executive functions in paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.Objective: There are only few studies which investigated the neuropsychological performances of paediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous studies show that most of adult OCD patients had an onset of their first symptoms before the age of 15. Our objective was to evaluate the neuropsychological functions in paediatric patients with OCD.Methods: We compared the executive functions and general intelligence of child and adolescent OCD patients (n = 20) with age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 20). To compare mentioned skills, a neuropsychological test battery including Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop Test and Verbal Fluency Test was performed.Result: Performances of the OCD and control subjects on neuropsychological tests were statistically analysed by using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), in which Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) results were taken into consideration as a covariate to observe FSIQ's effect on test scores. Our results showed that the differences in WISC-R Picture Arrangement and Coding scores remained significant when co-analysed with FSIQ scores. In a similar manner, the OCD group exhibited worse performances on STR1-duration, STR3-duration, STR3-error, STR4-duration, STR4-error, STR5-correct response, and STR5-error as compared with the control group when FSIQ scores were taken into calculation. Some variables of the WCST (perseverative responses, percent errors, abstraction-flexibility and categories completed) also yield lower test scores in the OCD group. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding Verbal Fluency Test scores.Conclusion: Our results suggested that paediatric OCD patients had worse abstraction-flexibility, mental set-shifting, verbal comprehension and visuospatial/construction abilities.

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