Short communication, Note

CIGARETTE SMOKING HAS NO PRO-COGNITIVE EFFECT IN SUBJECTS WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Daniela Caldirola ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como, Italy
Paolo Cavedini ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como, Italy
Alice Riva ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como, Italy
Nunzia Valentina Di Chiaro ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como, Italy
Giampaolo Perna ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como, Italy, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Maastric

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of cigarette smoking in patients with different psychiatric disorders is higher than that in the
general population, which is partly explained by the pro-cognitive effect of smoking on cognitive functions. In subjects with
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the prevalence of smokers is lower than that in other psychiatric disorders. We hypothesized
that cigarette smoking does not provide benefits and even worsen cognitive performance in OCD.
Subjects and methods: We compared different executive function subdomains in 20 smoking and 20 non-smoking inpatients with
OCD. At the beginning of hospitalization, we assessed visuo-spatial working memory, planning and set-shifting abilities (Cambridge
Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), smoking habits (standardized personal interviews), and the severity of obsessivecompulsive
symptoms (Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale).
Results: The performance of smokers and non-smokers did not differ significantly in any cognitive subdomain. The smoking
duration was significantly associated with poorer visuo-spatial working memory performance (P=0.001).
Conclusions: Our results showed that cigarette smoking did not provide cognitive enhancement across various executive
function subdomains in subjects with OCD. The lack of beneficial cognitive effects of smoking may make these subjects less prone to
smoking and may partially explain the lower rate of smokers in OCD compared with other psychiatric conditions.

Keywords

obsessive-compulsive disorder – OCD – smoking – cognition - executive function

Hrčak ID:

154782

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/154782

Publication date:

29.3.2016.

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