Research: Inside OCD

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified high levels of cognitive rigidity (inflexible thinking) in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These cognitive deficits, the team suggests, may represent intermediate states of impaired brain function short of full-blown OCD. Having objective measures of cognitive impairments should aid studies searching for genetic risk factors for OCD, help to identify family members at risk, and provide a way to assess current and novel treatments.

External links

• Chamberlain SR et al. Impaired cognitive flexibility and motor inhibition in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry 2007;164(2):335–8.