Overview
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and compulsions, leading to psychosocial impairment 1. A key feature of OCD is cognitive inflexibility, evidenced by persistent, functionally impairing, and egodystonic repetitive thoughts and behaviors 2.
Diagnosis
Key Features:
* Impaired social cognition, including theory of mind (ToM) deficits 1.
* Reduced ability to recognize disgust in facial emotions 1.
* Significantly reduced cognitive empathy 1.
* Cognitive inflexibility, particularly deficits in Extra-Dimensional (ED) set-shifting tasks 2.
Objective Measurement:
* Neuropsychological paradigms and computerized cognitive tasks can quantify cognitive flexibility 2.
* Meta-analysis shows medium-large effect size for ED shift deficits in OCD 2.Management
No management strategies are discussed in the provided abstracts.Special Populations
No information on special populations is available in the provided abstracts.Key Recommendations
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with medium-sized impairments in theory of mind and cognitive empathy, which can contribute to psychosocial impairment 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Extra-Dimensional (ED) shift deficits are a robust finding in OCD, not attributable to age or IQ differences 2. (Evidence: Moderate)
ED shift deficits in OCD may be linked to dysfunction of fronto-striatal pathways and neurotransmitter roles 2. (Evidence: Moderate)References
1 Bora E. Social cognition and empathy in adults with obsessive compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry research 2022. link
2 Chamberlain SR, Solly JE, Hook RW, Vaghi MM, Robbins TW. Cognitive Inflexibility in OCD and Related Disorders. Current topics in behavioral neurosciences 2021. link