Abstract

The hypotheses were lately presented that cognitive deficit shown by patients of obsessive- compulsive order was related to the dysfunction of frontal-striatal system, so we became more interested in the strategical aspect and deficit of organizational ability in memory as well as memory impairment. We examined the impairment of verbal and nonverbal memory of patients who have a clear symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder and then finally intended to verify the mediating hypothesis that the organizational strategy caused memory impairment. We made 20 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and 20 persons belonging to the normal control group take RCFT(Rey-Osterrieth Complex figure Test)and HVLT(Hopkins Verbal Learning Test)and assessed the organizational strategy in RCFT. According to the results of our research, a group of patients of obsessive-compulsive disorder indicated significant impairment in both verbal and nonverbal memory. Regression analysis showed that nonverbal memory impairment of obsessive- compulsive disorder was taken place under the direct effect of organizational strategy. But we should not overlook direct effect of group difference to nonverbal memory impairment. Though the organizational strategy have the most important influence on memory impairment, these are also acting as significant factors to suggest that memory impairment of obsessive-compulsive disorder is possible to be connected with other cognitive deficits and characteristics.