Comparison of executive functions in patient with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder with normal individuals

The purpose of this study was comparing executive functions in patient with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorders with normal individual.

The research design was post- facto. The sample of this study included 32 patients with schizophrenia disorders, 31 patient’s OCD in Shahid Lavasani Hospital and 30 participants from normal population. The color-word Stroop test, the N-back test, and the Wisconsin Cards Sorting Test were also used to collect the research data. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.

The results of this study showed significant differences between the groups in selective attention and in the number of correct responses, so that the normal group had higher scores than patient groups and OCD group achieved higher scores schizophrenic group. In shift attention (completed trials and correct responses) the results showed that the normal group had higher scores that patient groups, and OCDs achieved higher scores than schizophrenics. However, in preservation subscale, the schizophrenic patients were higher than OCD and normal groups. Finally, in working memory, difference between the groups didn’t reach significant.

The results of this study revealed higher attention deficits in schizophrenia and OCD patients in comparison to normal controls. Furthermore, schizophrenics had poorer function on selective and shifting attention than OCD patients.