Obsessive compulsive symptoms, mild neurocognitive disorder and dementia: A systematic review

Background

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) have been reported in dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We investigated the comorbidity of OCD and OCS in patients with a diagnosis of dementia or MCI and the risk of developing dementia or MCI for those with a diagnosis of OCD or OCS later in life.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review, searching databases up to March 2023. The quality assessment was performed using the Weight of Evidence (WoE) framework, and a narrative synthesis was completed.

Results

Twenty studies met our inclusion criteria. The presence of methodological limitations and potential biases was observed in the studies included in this review. The majority were of moderate quality, were conducted in samples selected from tertiary care or research settings. OCS was present in 21–100% of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and 10–45% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Conclusion

OCS is a common symptom in FTD, particularly behavioural variation FTD (bvFTD). The onset of OCD or OCS later in life should warrant careful screening and follow-up to monitor for potential cognitive changes and the risk of developing dementia.