Abstract
Background Cognitive performance has been studied in subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) adults and in adults relatives of OCD patients. Meanwhile, no study has been conducted with children under the same conditions. Across a sample with 49 participants, we investigated whether children and adolescents at high-risk (HR) for OCD (n=18) would present an impaired performance on neurocognitive domains compared to healthy controls (HC, n=31), especially in visuoconstructive ability, executive functions, and intellectual efficiency, functions previously associated with OCD.
Methods For the HR group, we considered the first-degree children relatives of patients with OCD that present obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), but do not meet diagnostic criteria for OCD. Child psychiatric diagnoses were assessed by the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL) by experienced and trained psychologists and OCS were measured by Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).
Results Although we did not find differences in the domains previously hypothesized, a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed impairments in processing speed in HR group (p =0.019; F=3.115), and a t-test identified a higher IQ discrepancy in HR group when compared to HC (p =0.030; t =-2.239), and a discrepancy in verbal and non-verbal abilities as in the memory and working memory tasks.
Conclusions Our results suggest that differences in motor and processing speed and in IQ discrepancy are already present and were identified in a non-clinical sample of HR subjects. Further studies should investigate neurocognitive domains as possible predictors of pediatric OCD.
Footnotes
elisa.t.bernardes{at}gmail.com
carolinacappi{at}gmail.com
demarco.mari{at}gmail.com
mqhoexter{at}gmail.com
priscilachacon{at}gmail.com
guaracirequena{at}gmail.com
ecmiguel7{at}gmail.com
roseligshavitt{at}gmail.com
polanczyk.guilherme{at}gmail.com
marcelobatistuzzo{at}gmail.com
Abbreviations
- CBTT
- corsi block-tapping task
- DSM-IV
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder Fouth Edition
- DST
- digit span test
- EF
- executive function
- FMUSP
- University of Sao Paulo Medical School
- FSIQ
- Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient
- HC
- healthy control
- HR
- high-risk
- IPq
- Institute of Psychiatry of the Clinical Hospital
- IQ
- Intelligence Quotient
- K-SADS-PL
- Kiddie Schedule For Affective Disorders And Schizophrenia for School Aged-Children
- MANOVA
- Multivariate Analysis of Variance
- OC
- obsessive-compulsive
- OCD
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- OCS
- obsessive-compulsive symptoms
- PASW
- Predictive Analytics Software
- PIQ
- Performance Intelligence Quotient
- SCID-I/P
- Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Patient Edition
- SMART
- Sequential Multiple Assessment Randomized Trial
- TMT
- trail making test
- VIQ
- Verbal Intelligence Quotient
- Y-BOCS
- Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale