The DOI matches its Crossref record.
THE NEUROLOGY OF OBSESSIONAL SLOWNESS
Abstract
Seventeen of 59 patients admitted to hospital for treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) were found to have significant slowness, mainly due to difficulty in initiating goal-directed action and suppressing intrusive and perseverative behaviour. In this subgroup subtle neurological abnormalities were found more frequently than in healthy controls and included loss of motor fluency, hesitancy of initiation of limb movements, speech and gait abnormalities, cogwheel rigidity, complex repetitive movements and tics. Difficulties in cognitive set-shifting and complex spatial-and-shifting abilities were found on neuropsychological testing, but no correlation was found between these disturbances and either the degree of obsessionality or the severity of motor dysfunction. These results suggest that patients with obsessional slowness may have a dysfunction in the frontal-basal-ganglia loop system.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Slowness can also result from interference of obsessions with a task [44] or impaired decision making [45].”
From Projection-specific deficits in synaptic transmission in adult Sapap3-knockout mice (2020) · cites this paper as [44]
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–152 of 152
Obsessive slowness : a case report.
Singh, G., Sharan, P., & Grover, S. (2003) · PubMed · Cited by 8
Doolub, D., Vibert, N., Botta, F., Razmkon, A., Bouquet, C. A., Wassouf, I., Millet, B., Harika‐Germaneau, G., & Jaafari, N. (2024) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.052 · Cited by 7
Bradykinesia In Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Pasquini, M., Fabbrini, G., Moretti, G., Berardelli, I., Mandarelli, G., Chiaie, R. D., Leone, C., Biondi, M., & Berardelli, A. (2010) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2009.11.008 · Cited by 7
Neuropsychological deficits in drug naïve, non-depressed obsessive-compulsive disorder patients
Roopesh, B. N., Reddy, Y. C. J., & Mukundan, C. R. (2012) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2012.10.003 · Cited by 7
Clinical overview and phenomenology of movement disorders
Fahn, S., Jankovic, J. J., & Hallett, M. (2011) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-1-4377-2369-4.00001-9 · Cited by 10
Evaluation of cognitive slowing in OCD by means of creating incongruence between lexicon and prosody
Koçak, O. M., Nalçacı, E., Özgüven, H. D., Güneş, E., & Ergenç, İ. (2010) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2009.04.016 · Cited by 6
Reid, J. M., Storch, E. A., & Murphy, T. K. (2009) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-009-9275-5 · Cited by 7
“Although the exact prevalence is uncertain, a past study found this symptom in nearly 30% of patients admitted to a hospital in the UK for OCD treatment ( Hymas et al. 1991 ).”
BackgroundOrigins of Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder: Developmental and Evolutionary Perspectives
Evans, D. W., & Leckman, J. F. (2015) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470939406.ch10 · Cited by 8
Obsessional Slowness: A Case Study
Lam, W., Wong, K. W., Fulks, M.-A., & Holsti, L. (2008) · Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.1177/000841740807500413 · Cited by 6
An akinetic‐rigid syndrome, depression, and stereotypies in a young man
Lance, J. W., Hickie, I. B., Wakefield, D., et al. (1998) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.870130515 · Cited by 6
Obsessive slowness presenting as catatonia in a patient with Borderline Intelligence
Saha, R., Singh, S. M., & Nischal, A. (2015) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2015.09.008 · Cited by 5
Fernandez, H. H., & Friedman, J. H. (2012) · Humana Press eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-60761-835-5_2 · Cited by 4
Clinical overview and phenomenology of movement disorders
Jankovic, J. J., Hallett, M., Okun, M. S., Comella, C., Fahn, S., & Goldman, J. G. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-31071-0.00001-9 · Cited by 6
Crowe, E., do Rosário, M. C., Ferrão, Y. A., Albertella, L., Miguel, E. C., & Fontenelle, L. F. (2022) · International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1080/13651501.2022.2147441 · Cited by 6
“OS involves slowness in the initiation and progression of physical movement during tasks (Hymas et al., 1991) and clinical observations describe it as akin to slow motion movement (Rachman, 1974), with patients occasionally remaining distracted and motionless for extensive periods (Charlot et al.,…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialObsessional Slowness in College Students: Case Studies
Johnson, A. B. (2014) · Journal of College Student Psychotherapy · doi:10.1080/87568225.2014.915173 · Cited by 4
Nedeljkovic, M., Kyrios, M., Moulding, R., & Doron, G. (2011) · International Journal of Cognitive Therapy · doi:10.1521/ijct.2011.4.1.8 · Cited by 4
Insula and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Jeffrey, E. S., Flynn, T. J., Fennell, E. B., et al. (1995) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674379504000215 · Cited by 4
Pediatric Motor Stereotypies: An Updated Review
Subki, A. H., Alsallum, M. S., Alnefaie, M., Alkahtani, A., Almagamsi, S., Alshehri, Z., Kinsara, R., & Jan, M. M. (2017) · Journal of Pediatric Neurology · doi:10.1055/s-0037-1602256 · Cited by 4
The Neurology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Hymas, N. (1998) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852900006143 · Cited by 4
Self-citationClarke, A. T., Fineberg, N. A., Pellegrini, L., & Laws, K. R. (2023) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/2fg9j · Cited by 4
Zhu, W., Burgoyne, K. S., & Lesser, I. M. (2014) · Psychosomatics · doi:10.1016/j.psym.2014.05.001 · Cited by 3
Trastornos psicomotores en el niño
Albaret, J. (2002) · EMC - Pediatría · doi:10.1016/s1245-1789(02)72030-1 · Cited by 3
Troubles psychomoteurs chez l'enfant
Albaret, J. (2001) · International Conference on Embedded and Multimedia Computing · doi:10.1016/s1637-5017(06)74523-9 · Cited by 3
“Ainsi, Hymas et al [49] ont étudié la présence de troubles psychomoteurs (lenteur, incoordinations motrices, stéréotypies motrices, dystonies, échopraxie, syncinésies) dans un sous-groupe de patients présentant un trouble obsessionnel compulsif (TOC).”
Larson, M. J., & Clawson, A. (2017) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118890233.ch9 · Cited by 3
Singer, H. S., Mink, J. W., Gilbert, D. L., & Jankovic, J. J. (2022) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-820552-5.00002-4 · Cited by 2
Kuts, K., Loganovska, T., Kreinis, G. Y., Perchuk, I. V., Antypchuk, K. Y., Sushko, V. A., & Dykan, I. M. (2023) · Проблеми радіаційної медицини та радіобіології = Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology · doi:10.33145/2304-8336-2023-28-348-373 · Cited by 2
Singer, H. S., Mink, J. W., Gilbert, D. L., & Jankovic, J. J. (2010) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-7506-9852-8.00007-2 · Cited by 2
Singer, H. S., Mink, J. W., Gilbert, D. L., & Jankovic, J. J. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-411573-6.00008-5 · Cited by 2
Primary Obsessive Slowness: A Complex Presentation and Treatment Difficulties
Reddy, B., de Filippis, R., Nocera, A., & Das, S. (2022) · Future Pharmacology · doi:10.3390/futurepharmacol2020012 · Cited by 1
“However, debates remain open about whether the SO is truly a distinct and primary entity or may, for phenomenological reasons, be the expression of a number of other conditions [11,16,28].”
BackgroundNeurological soft signs and insight in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Elmasry, N., Youssef, A., Mohamed, A., & Ashour, W. M. R. (2016) · Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.4103/1110-1105.195543 · Cited by 1
“Hymas et al. (1991) found that a group of patients with OCD, compared with healthy controls, showed loss of motor fluency, hesitancy in initiation of limb movements, speech and gait abnormalities, cogwheel rigidity, complex repetitive movements, and tics.”
BackgroundExekutivfunktionen und ihre Störungen
von Cramon, D. Y., & Schubotz, R. I. (2005) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-343723390-6.50022-x · Cited by 1
Announcing a New Continuing Medical Education Course
Friedman, J. H. (2013) · Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology · doi:10.1097/wnn.0b013e31829af2fb · Cited by 1
Stein, D. J. (1998) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852900007227 · Cited by 1
Visuo-manu-motorische Regelleistung bei Patienten mit Zwangsstörung und gesunden Kontrollen
Eichert, V., Martinez, B., Höflich, G., et al. (1996) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-6889-9_153 · Cited by 1
Veale, D. M. (1995) · UCL Discovery (University College London) · Cited by 1
The Neuropsychological Profile of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Young Adults
Pongracic, S. (2021) · doi:10.32920/ryerson.14654649.v1 · Cited by 1
Obsessive-compulsive disorder in disguise—Case report
Berg, J. E., & Grimeland, J. (2012) · Open Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.4236/ojpsych.2012.23026
Poverty and Slowness of Voluntary Movement
Martino, D., Espay, A. J., Fasano, A. A., & Morgante, F. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48468-5_1
Baykal, S., Karakurt, M. N., Çalik, T., & Yüce, M. (2014)
Executive function deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder: episode or trait markers
Bannon, S. (2003) · Research Online (University of Wollongong)
Akbar, U., Fernandez, H. H., & Friedman, J. H. (2021) · Current clinical neurology · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-75898-1_4 · Cited by 1
Bruneau, M. (2012) · Humana Press eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-60761-429-6_3
(2012) · De Boeck Supérieur eBooks · doi:10.3917/dbu.corra.2012.01.0151
Lai, R., Pang, X., Ming, Y., He, H., Xiong, Y., You, J., Chen, L., & Gong, F. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1498046 · Cited by 1
“N. HYMAS believes that patients with obsessional slowness may have a dysfunction in the frontal-basal-ganglia loop system (7).”
(2000) · Time to knit · doi:10.1016/s0246-1072(19)30057-4
(2000) · Time to knit · doi:10.1016/s1633-776x(20)30037-5
A neurologist’s guide to the bedside examination of hypokinetic movement disorders
Bhidayasiri, R., & Phuenpathom, W. (2025) · International review of movement disorders · doi:10.1016/bs.irmvd.2025.09.009
de Oliveira, M. V. S., de Menezes, G. M. B., & Fontenelle, L. F. (2026) · Comprehensive Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152743
Metadata
- Authors
- HYMAS, N., LEES, A., BOLTON, D., EPPS, K., & HEAD, D.
- Affiliations
- Fulbourn Hospital (GB)
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (GB)
- Corresponding author
- HYMAS, N.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Brain
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1991
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 2203-2233
- ISSN
- 0006-8950 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2156
- OpenAlex
- W2041441236
- Cited by
- 152
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 5.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Deep Brain Stimulation and Movement Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- obsessive-compulsive disorder, motor fluency, perseveration, intrusive thoughts, cogwheel rigidity, tics, set-shifting, frontal lobe dysfunction, neuropsychological deficits
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Brain, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Skills, Movement, Nervous System, Neuropsychological Tests, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Radionuclide Imaging, Time Factors
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
