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Persistence of impulsivity in pediatric and adolescent patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder
Author(s) -
Yamamuro Kazuhiko,
Ota Toyosaku,
Iida Junzo,
Kishimoto Naoko,
Nakanishi Yoko,
Kishimoto Toshifumi
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12465
Subject(s) - impulsivity , stroop effect , persistence (discontinuity) , psychology , prefrontal cortex , psychiatry , clinical psychology , executive dysfunction , audiology , medicine , cognition , neuropsychology , geotechnical engineering , engineering
Aim Increasing clinical evidence points to impulsivity as a symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder ( OCD ). However, little is known about its persistence over time. Methods In this study, we evaluated the performance of 12 pediatric patients with OCD on the S troop color–word task, which assesses impulsivity, and compared this with age‐ and sex‐matched controls. In parallel, we measured changes in hemodynamic responses during the task, using near‐infrared spectroscopy. As patients in the OCD group were naïve to treatment, we compared results before and after 3‐year medication with serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Results We report that, compared with controls, the OCD group had significantly poorer performance and less activation in the prefrontal cortex during the S troop color–word task. Surprisingly, while serotonin‐reuptake‐inhibitors treatment reduced OCD symptomology, it did not improve the diminished hemodynamic responses or task performance of these patients. Conclusion Our findings suggest that a persistent deficit exists in the inhibitory control of pediatric patients with OCD ; they also provide insight into the pathophysiology of OCD .