Research view
Title: | Neurological soft signs and insight in obsessive–compulsive disorder |
Author: | Nagda M. Elmasry , Amira M. Youssef , Amany E. Mohamed , Waleed R. Ashour |
Abstract: |
Background
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by the
presence of obsessions and compulsions that interfere with the patient’s life. It has
been shown that patients with OCD have increased rates of neurological soft signs
(NSS) when compared with healthy controls. NSS are minor abnormalities like poor
motor coordination, sensory and perceptual difficulties, and difficulties in
sequencing of complex motor tasks. It has been suggested that OCD patients
with poor insight are at the most severe end of this spectrum.
Aim of the work
The aim of this study was to determine the frequency pattern of symptoms
(obsessions and compulsions) in OCD patients, to examine NSS in patients
compared with healthy individuals, and find any correlation between NSS
scores and the severity of OCDs [total Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive
Scale (YBOCS) score] and the degree of insight.
Participants and methods
The study included two groups: 30 OCD patients and 30 healthy individuals as
controls. Both groups were subjected to psychiatric and neurological examination
using the Cambridge Neurological Inventory (Part 2), the YBOCS checklist to detect
types of obsessions and compulsions, and the Overvalued Ideas Scale to assess
the degree of insight in OCD patients.
Results
The most common types of obsessions and compulsions among the patients were
religious (70%), contamination (77%), and cleaning compulsions (77%). OCD
patients recorded significantly higher total scores of NSS and domain scores
(motor coordination, sensory integration, and primitive reflexes) compared with
the control group (P<0.05). A positive correlation was found between NSS scores
and total YBOCS scores and Overvalued Ideas Scale scores.
Conclusion
We conclude that OCD patients have higher scores for NSS compared with
controls, particularly for motor coordination signs. NSS positively correlated with
the severity of disease. There was a positive correlation between NSS scores and
OVIS scores, which measures the degree of insight.
Keywords:
insight, neurological soft signs, obsessive– compulsive disorder
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Journal: | Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry 2016, 37:125–131 |
Text: | |
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