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Everyday memory functioning in obsessive– compulsive disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2006

LENA JELINEK
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
STEFFEN MORITZ
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
DEIKE HEEREN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
DIETER NABER
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

Abstract

Memory performance in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is discussed as a pathogenetic risk factor for the emergence of OCD, particularly checking compulsions. At present, however, findings are mixed and little is known about memory performance in tasks relevant to everyday functioning in patients with OCD. For the present study, memory performance was assessed in 31 patients diagnosed with OCD and 33 healthy controls with the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT), which covers a wide range of verbal and nonverbal memory components as well as prospective memory. OCD patients performed comparably to healthy controls on the memory task for verbal, nonverbal, and prospective memory (p > .1). According to norm values, memory performance was unimpaired in most OCD patients. The present findings further challenge a broad account of the “memory deficit” hypothesis of OCD and compulsive checking, respectively (JINS, 2006, 12, 746–749.)

Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS
Copyright
© 2006 The International Neuropsychological Society

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