Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Comparative Study with Healthy Older Adults

Background: Mild cognitive impairment is considered a prodromal state and a risk factor for dementia. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the relationship between obsessivecompulsive disorder and mild cognitive impairment. One of the risk factors for the development of mild cognitive impairment may be obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this study, we hypothesized that the patients with mild cognitive impairment had a significantly higher rate of obsessive-compulsive disorder than healthy elders, and some types of preexisting obsessive-compulsive symptoms may be associated with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: A total of 66 subjects (mild cognitive impairment=35; healthy elderly=31) were assessed for severity of cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III tests. Lifetime diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder was assessed through Structured Clinical Interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I disorders. The severity of the obsessive-compulsive disorder and the content of previous obsessive-compulsive symptoms were measured by Yale–Brown ObsessiveCompulsive Scale.

Results: Mild cognitive impairment patients had more previous depressive episodes and a lifetime diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder when compared with healthy subjects, P =.023. Educational level was significantly lower in mild cognitive impairment patients than in healthy elders, P =.037. The contamination obsessions and cleaning and checking compulsions were significantly higher in the patients with mild cognitive impairment than in healthy subjects, P =.044. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were significantly higher in patients with mild cognitive impairment, P =.009 and P =.045 respectively. Lower educational level, previous obsessivecompulsive disorder, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, and checking compulsions significantly predicted the patients with mild cognitive impairment, P =.044.

Conclusion: Our findings may demonstrate that lower educational level, previous obsessive-compulsive disorder, checking compulsions, and current anxiety and depression severity appeared significantly associated with mild cognitive impairment. We suggest that previous obsessive-compulsive disorder and checking obsessive-compulsive symptoms may be related to earlier stages of memory dysfunction.

Cite this article as: Şair YB, Şair A. Obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A comparative study with healthy older adults. Psychiatry Clin Psychopharmacol. 2022;32(3):222-228.