Cognitive performance of individuals with animal hoarding

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to characterize the cognitive performance of individuals with animal hoarding. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, in which 33 individuals between the ages of 29 to 84 (M = 61.39; SD = 12.69) with animal hoarding have been assessed. The participants completed a neurocognitive battery including measures of general cognitive functioning, visual memory and organization, verbal fluency, and verbal reasoning. Results: Data suggest that individuals with animal hoarding have high rates of cognitive deficits related to visual memory and verbal reasoning. Conclusions: Based on the performance tests used, we can suggest the existence of cognitive difficulties related especially to the executive functions of individuals with animal hoarding in this sample.