Abstract
The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive functions and obsessive-compulsive dimension in schizophrenia and a possible moderating effect of schizophrenia symptom dimensions on this association. Sixty-one schizophrenia patients were administered the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), and the Matrics Consensus Cognitive Battery. A U-shaped curve described a gradual transition from an inverse association to a positive relationship between YBOCS and processing speed scores, along a severity gradient of obsessive dimension. This effect ("the obsessive paradox") was not moderated by other symptom dimensions. The present study suggests that severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms may participate to counterbalance processing speed impairment independently from other symptom dimensions. These results highlight the complexity of the relationship between cognitive and obsessive dimensions in schizophrenia.
Highlights
The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive functions and obsessive-compulsive dimension in schizophrenia and a possible moderating effect of schizophrenia symptom dimensions on this association
It is noteworthy that negative symptoms appear to mediate the relationship between neurocognition and outcome (Ventura et al, 2009) and that disorganization moderates the association between neurocognition and metacognitive processes (Minor et al, 2015)
Patients were included in the study if 1) they were aged older than 17 years; 2) they received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, according to DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000); 3) a written informed consent to study participation was obtained; and 4) the resolution of the acute phase of illness was reached, defined as the achievement of a clinical stabilization phase with initial symptom response and reduced psychotic symptoms severity (American Psychiatric Association, 1997)
Summary
The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive functions and obsessive-compulsive dimension in schizophrenia and a possible moderating effect of schizophrenia symptom dimensions on this association. A U-shaped curve described a gradual transition from an inverse association to a positive relationship between YBOCS and processing speed scores, along a severity gradient of obsessive dimension This effect (“the obsessive paradox”) was not moderated by other symptom dimensions. The present study suggests that severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms may participate to counterbalance processing speed impairment independently from other symptom dimensions. These results highlight the complexity of the relationship between cognitive and obsessive dimensions in schizophrenia. The second objective was to evaluate if the relationship between OCS and cognitive functions might be mediated and/or moderated by other schizophrenia symptom dimensions
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