BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging and neuropsychological data from patients with an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) indicate the dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Olfactory processing has been associated with OFC function, although results from OCD studies regarding this sensory modality have been inconclusive. No previous study has analyzed both odor discrimination and identification capacity in OCD patients using "Sniffin' Sticks" tests. The aim of our study was to assess odor threshold, identification, discrimination, and nonverbal memory in OCD patients, in order to determine whether these functions were affected. METHODS: Olfactory function was measured in 29 OCD patients and 29 healthy volunteers (HV) using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test and their nonverbal memory was scored with the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. RESULTS: OCD patients showed significant impairment in their odor performance and in their execution of the nonverbal memory task compared to HV. No statistical associations were found between the deficits in the two areas. The severity of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms did correlate with olfactory identification. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the hypothesis that olfactory and memory dysfunctions in OCD reflect different neurobiological alterations of the disorder, and point to the modulation effect of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms on odor performance.
BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging and neuropsychological data from patients with an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) indicate the dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Olfactory processing has been associated with OFC function, although results from OCD studies regarding this sensory modality have been inconclusive. No previous study has analyzed both odor discrimination and identification capacity in OCDpatients using "Sniffin' Sticks" tests. The aim of our study was to assess odor threshold, identification, discrimination, and nonverbal memory in OCDpatients, in order to determine whether these functions were affected. METHODS: Olfactory function was measured in 29 OCDpatients and 29 healthy volunteers (HV) using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test and their nonverbal memory was scored with the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. RESULTS:OCDpatients showed significant impairment in their odor performance and in their execution of the nonverbal memory task compared to HV. No statistical associations were found between the deficits in the two areas. The severity of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms did correlate with olfactory identification. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the hypothesis that olfactory and memory dysfunctions in OCD reflect different neurobiological alterations of the disorder, and point to the modulation effect of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms on odor performance.
Authors: Martin Schecklmann; Christina Schwenck; Regina Taurines; Christine Freitag; Andreas Warnke; Manfred Gerlach; Marcel Romanos Journal: J Neural Transm (Vienna) Date: 2012-07-19 Impact factor: 3.575
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Authors: David C Houghton; Samuel L Howard; Thomas W Uhde; Caitlin Paquet; Rodney J Schlosser; Bernadette M Cortese Journal: CNS Spectr Date: 2018-09-27 Impact factor: 3.790
Authors: Mohammed A Islam; Ana B Fagundo; Jon Arcelus; Zaida Agüera; Susana Jiménez-Murcia; José M Fernández-Real; Francisco J Tinahones; Rafael de la Torre; Cristina Botella; Gema Frühbeck; Felipe F Casanueva; José M Menchón; Fernando Fernandez-Aranda Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2015-09-30