Lucas Manarte1, António R Andrade2, Linete do Rosário3, Daniel Sampaio3, Maria Luísa Figueira3, Pedro Morgado4, Barbara J Sahakian5. 1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisbon, Portugal. manarte@campus.ul.pt. 2. IDMEC. Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal. 3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisbon, Portugal. 4. Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, R. da Universidade, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal. 5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Around 25 to 30% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not respond to treatment. These patients have the longest duration of disease and the worst prognosis. Following years of research on this topic, insight has emerged as a potential explanation for this therapeutic resistance. Therefore, it has become important to characterize OCD patients with poor insight. Few studies have focused on the neuropsychological and cognitive characteristics of these patients. METHODS: To help fill this gap, we divided 57 patients into two groups, one with good insight and the other with poor insight, assessed their neuropsychological functions-through a Rey's figure test, a California verbal learning test, a Toulouse-Piéron test and a Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)-and compared the results with those of a paired control group. RESULTS: The statistical analysis, with a significance level of 95%, revealed differences in the executive function tests, and particularly in the WCST (p ≤ 0.001) and trail-making-test (TMT A/B) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These differences suggest that the neuropsychological profile of poor-insight patients is different from their good-insight counterparts, emphasize the role played by the executive functions in insight and highlights the need for more accurate neurocognitive research and treatment.
BACKGROUND: Around 25 to 30% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not respond to treatment. These patients have the longest duration of disease and the worst prognosis. Following years of research on this topic, insight has emerged as a potential explanation for this therapeutic resistance. Therefore, it has become important to characterize OCDpatients with poor insight. Few studies have focused on the neuropsychological and cognitive characteristics of these patients. METHODS: To help fill this gap, we divided 57 patients into two groups, one with good insight and the other with poor insight, assessed their neuropsychological functions-through a Rey's figure test, a California verbal learning test, a Toulouse-Piéron test and a Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)-and compared the results with those of a paired control group. RESULTS: The statistical analysis, with a significance level of 95%, revealed differences in the executive function tests, and particularly in the WCST (p ≤ 0.001) and trail-making-test (TMT A/B) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These differences suggest that the neuropsychological profile of poor-insight patients is different from their good-insight counterparts, emphasize the role played by the executive functions in insight and highlights the need for more accurate neurocognitive research and treatment.
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