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Obsessionality

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Parkinson’s Disease and Nonmotor Dysfunction

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Neurology ((CCNEU))

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Abstract

This chapter examines the fascinating issue of obsessionality in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The concept of obsessionality and current notions about the pathophysiology and neuropsychology of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are initially described. Particular features of obsessionality in neurological illnesses, and especially in PD, are provided. Both the parkinsonian personality and similarities that may link bradyphrenia and obsessional slowness are discussed and descriptive studies of obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) in PD are reviewed. Repetitive-reward seeking behaviors in PD associated with dopaminergic treatment are described; similarities and differences between impulsive and compulsive disorders are outlined. OCS in neurological illnesses, including PD, may be clinically identical to idiopathic OCD, but descriptions usually reveal certain differences. OCS in neurological diseases are often associated with movement disorders and cognitive dysfunction, primarily of the dysexecutive type. Symptoms are mainly compulsive in nature, without the obsession or anxiety usually associated with idiopathic OCD. Questions remain about the distinctive pathophysiology and treatment response of OCS in PD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Institut Universitaire de Geriatrie de Montreal, 4565 Queen-Mary, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3W 1W5

    Marie-Andrée Bruneau M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.P.C.

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  1. Marie-Andrée Bruneau M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.P.C.
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Correspondence to Marie-Andrée Bruneau M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.P.C. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA

    Ronald F. Pfeiffer (Professor and Vice Chair) (Professor and Vice Chair)

  2. Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders Clinic, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Ivan Bodis-Wollner

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Bruneau, MA. (2013). Obsessionality. In: Pfeiffer, R.F., Bodis-Wollner, I. (eds) Parkinson’s Disease and Nonmotor Dysfunction. Current Clinical Neurology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-429-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-429-6_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-429-6

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