NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Recent evidence has suggested that the commonly observed comorbid beha vioral disorders of Tourette syndrome, including attention deficit hyp eractivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder clearly have an impact on cognitive, educational, and psychosocial function. These beh avioral features of Tourette syndrome can be more debilitating than th e cardinal motor features of the disorder and they require careful cli nical assessment so that appropriate treatment intervention can be off ered to patients and their families. This article focuses on objective neuropsychological and behavioral assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which have prove n useful for both the clinical evaluation and treatment of obsessive-c ompulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder associ ated with Tourette syndrome and in the research setting. Instruments w ith proven psychometric reliability and validity for assessing obsessi ve-compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder wh ich also hart been useful in Tourette syndrome populations are discuss ed. Objective and quantitative assessment of these comorbid behavioral conditions greatly enhance our ability to treat the full neurobehavio ral spectrum of Tourette syndrome.