![]() Some research has suggested that OCD and Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders fall upon a compulsive-impulsive continuum. Sufferers of both OCD and ADHD have consistently and significantly underperformed in tests of executive functions. While the disorders are associated with very different patterns of brain activity, the resulting cognitive effects are actually similar, especially in executive functions2 such as response inhibition, planning, task switching, working memory, and decision making. However the similarities between OCD and ADHD are limited to only which part of the brain is affected patients with OCD exhibit significantly increased activity (hypermetabolism) in the frontostriatal circuits, meaning this part of the brain is overactive in people with OCD, while patients with ADHD exhibit decreased activity (hypometabolism), meaning this part of the brain is less active in people with ADHD. Specifically, both conditions exhibit opposite patterns of brain activity in the frontostriatal system1, the segment of the brain responsible for higher order, motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions. ![]() Not surprisingly, people with OCD exhibit unusually low rates of novelty seeking behavior and cigarette smoking.Ĭonsiderable evidence has suggested that ADHD and OCD are characterized by abnormal brain activity in the same neural circuit. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with OCD are overly concerned with the consequences of their actions and tend to not act impulsively. In addition, generally speaking, people with OCD tend to demonstrate a more inhibited temperament and tend to avoid risky or potentially harmful situations. Individuals with OCD exhibit frequent obsessive and/or compulsive thoughts and behaviors. ![]() is characterized as an internalizing disorder, meaning individuals with OCD respond to anxiety producing environments by turning inward. Individuals with ADHD may exhibit inattention, lack of impulse control, and risky behaviors. ADHD is considered be an externalizing disorder, meaning it affects how people outwardly relate to their environment. However, ADHD and OCD are notably different in terms of brain activity and their clinical presentation. To the untrained eye, some of the symptoms associated with attention and concentration can appear remarkably similar, especially in children and adolescents. He can be reached at article was initially published in the Winter 2013 edition of the OCD Newsletter.īoth obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are considered fairly common and serious neuropsychiatric disorders. Abramovitch can be reached at Mittelman is a Research Coordinator at the OCD and Related Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Amitai Abramovitch is a neuropsychologist and a Research Fellow at the OCD and Related Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. OCD and ADHD Dual Diagnosis Misdiagnosis and the Cognitive ‘Cost’ of Obsessionsīy Amitai Abramovitch, PhD and Andrew Mittelmanĭr.
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