JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY 217 SPECIAL ARTICLES Neuropsychological Testing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Clinical Review

The role of neuropsychological testing in assess-ment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is examined by review of 8 case reports and 14 pa-tient series. Investigators generally agreed on local-ization of dysfunctional areas (e.g., prefrontal and frontal regions, limbic system, basal ganglia). They disagreed as to hemisphere and frontal lobe side impairment, involvement of other brain areas, pat ho physiological connections, and impact of de-velopmental phases and of concomitant cognitive and affective conditions. Conclusions about OCD pat hogenesis are limited by test and sample variability. The authors outline an integrative approach based on sensorial and cognitive infor-mation disruptions that require activation of les