Cited by 326Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum DisordersAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Is Associated With Broad Impairments in Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis

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Snyder, Hannah R., Kaiser, Roselinde H., Warren, Stacie L., Heller, Wendy·2015·Clinical Psychological Science

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious and often chronically disabling condition. The current dominant model of OCD focuses on abnormalities in prefrontal-striatal circuits that support executive function (EF). Although there is growing evidence for EF impairments associated with OCD, results have been inconsistent, which makes the nature and magnitude of these impairments controversial. The current meta-analysis uses random-effects models to synthesize 110 studies in which participants with OCD were compared with healthy control participants on at least one neuropsychological measure of EF. The results indicate that individuals with OCD are impaired on tasks measuring most aspects of EF, consistent with broad impairment in EF. EF deficits were not explained by general motor slowness or depression. Effect sizes were largely stable across variation in demographic and clinical characteristics of samples, although medication use, age, and gender moderated some effects.

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  • Patients with OCD show impairments in several cognitive domains, including executive functioning, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, working memory, visuospatial memory, decision-making, and performance monitoring.

    “Across clinical and experimental studies, patients with OCD have shown impairments in several cognitive domains, including executive functioning, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, working memory, visuospatial memory, decision-making, and performance monitoring [1,2,3,4].”

    From Electrophysiological Correlates of Cognitive Dysfunction in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Systematic and Mechanistic Review of EEG, ERP, and QEEG Evidence (2026) · cites this paper as [4]

    The Results (page unavailable in our copy) report poorer performance in OCD groups on inhibition, shifting, planning, and working-memory tasks, including visuospatial working memory. The paper does not establish impairments in decision-making or performance monitoring, so it supports only part of the attributed list. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Meta-analytic evidence suggests that OCD is associated with broad but generally small-to-moderate impairments across executive tasks, with especially consistent abnormalities in response inhibition, set-shifting, planning, and cognitive flexibility.

    “Meta-analytic evidence suggests that OCD is associated with broad but generally small-to-moderate impairments across executive tasks, with especially consistent abnormalities in response inhibition, set-shifting, planning, and cognitive flexibility [1,3,4].”

    From Electrophysiological Correlates of Cognitive Dysfunction in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Systematic and Mechanistic Review of EEG, ERP, and QEEG Evidence (2026) · cites this paper as [4]

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  • EF deficits across psychopathology cannot be easily explained by non-specific factors such as psychomotor slowing, differences in IQ or education, or medication use.

    “First, these deficits cannot be easily explained by non-specific factors such as psychomotor slowing, differences in IQ or education, or medication use (e.g., Barch, 2005; Forbes et al., 2009; Snyder, 2013; Snyder et al., 2015).”

    From Advancing understanding of executive function impairments and psychopathology: bridging the gap between clinical and cognitive approaches (2015) · cites this paper as Snyder et al., 2015

    The Discussion (Evaluating Hypotheses; page unavailable) finds that general motor slowing cannot fully account for EF deficits in OCD. The Results (Sensitivity Analyses and Moderator Analyses; page unavailable) report that deficits largely persisted in IQ-matched samples and were not driven by medication use. The paper does not establish the education point, and its analyses concern OCD rather than psychopathology broadly. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Meta-analyses suggest transdiagnostic associations of cognitive control deficits with psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder, and substance use disorders.

    “Indeed, meta-analyses suggest transdiagnostic associations of CC deficits with psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder [187], obsessive-compulsive disorder [188], bipolar disorder [189], schizophrenia [190], ADHD [191, 192], conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder [193], and substance use disorders [194].”
  • Meta-analyses have found response inhibition impairments in OCD.

    “meta‐analyses have found response inhibition impairments in OCD”

    From Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Etiology, neuropathology, and cognitive dysfunction (2023) · cites this paper as Snyder et al., 2015

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Boisseau CL 2011 Neuropsychological functioning and temperament in obsessive- compulsive disorder and eating disorders: Investigating the proposed obsessive-compulsive spectrum Doctoral dissertation Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (UMI 3445732).
  2. Carona FD 2004 Neuropsychological deficits in obsessive compulsive disorder versus unipolar depression Doctoral dissertation Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (UMI 3120653).
  3. Frevert TA 1999 Neuropsychology of obsessive compulsive disorder Masters thesis Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (UMI 1396364)
  4. Hedges LV Olkin I 1985 Statistical Method for Meta-Analysis Academic Press
  5. Nedeljikovic M Kyrios M Moulding R Doron G 2011 Neuropsychological changes following cognitive-behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) International Journal of Cognitive Therapy 4 8 20 10.1080/00048670802653273 · DOI · Paper page
  6. Nicholson KA 1994 A neuropsychological investigation of cortical and subcortical mechanisms of obsessive-compulsive disorder Doctoral dissertation Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 0-612-08321-7
  7. Roth RM 1999 Executive Functions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Neuropsychological and Event-Related Potential Investigation Doctoral dissertation Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 0-612-47704-5

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Authors
Snyder, H. R., Kaiser, R. H., Warren, S. L., & Heller, W.
Affiliations
  • University of Denver (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • St. Louis VA Medical Center (US)
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
Venue
Clinical Psychological Science
Published
2014-07-18
Volume
3
Issue
2
Pages
301-330
ISSN
  • 2167-7026 (ISSN-L)
  • 2167-7034
OpenAlex
W2141193081
Cited by
325
References
200
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 13
FWCI
20.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Clinical Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (P50MH079485, F32MH098481, R01MH061358, T32MH015442)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
obsessive-compulsive disorder, executive function, neuropsychological deficits, depression, medication effects

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