studies have reported impaired memory functions to correlate with OCD symptom dimensions, including pathological doubt [166] and compulsive checking [167]. It is possible that these executive dysfunctions exacerbate obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Indeed, studies examining the content of patients’ symptom experiences have suggested that difficulties with attention and memory play a key role in aggravating OCD symptoms; for example, some patients report that failures of these functions during compulsive rituals prevent them achieving a sense of completeness and/or they lead to the patient having to engage in further repetitions of the ritual [38]. As discussed in relation to the fronto-limbic circuit, difficulties recruiting dorsal prefrontal regions for efficient emotion regulation has been reported during cognitive reappraisal of OCD-provoking stimuli in OCD [39, 60] and may contribute to the persistence of fear-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Treatments targeted at dorsal cognitive circuitry may therefore help with top-down control of the emotional response to symptoms in OCD.
