TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurocognitive functioning in women presenting with undifferentiated somatoform disorders in Oman
AU - Al-Adawi, Samir
AU - Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim
AU - Obeid, Yousif A.
AU - Zaidan, Ziad
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - Aim: There is a dearth of research from non-Western populations focusing on neurocognitive functioning in patients presenting with undifferentiated somatoform disorders. The aim of the present quest is to examine the presence of cognitive impairment and other health-related parameters among attendees at psychiatric settings in Oman, an Arab/Islamic country, with a diagnosis of undifferentiated somatoform disorder. Method: In order to compare the performance of patients diagnosed with undifferentiated somatoform disorder (n = 20) and normal healthy subjects (n = 18) on indices of attention and concentration, tests of executive functioning, mood, somatization and vegetative functioning were carried out. Results: The performance of patients with undifferentiated somatoform disorder differed from that of normal healthy subjects on the presently operationalized indices of working memory and executive functioning, anxiety, quality of sleep and psychosomatically expressed psychological distress. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study highlighting neurocognitive functioning in patients with undifferentiated somatoform disorders from a non-Western population. This type of study has the potential of shedding light on the covariates of such a debilitating and intransigent condition as undifferentiated somatoform disorder.
AB - Aim: There is a dearth of research from non-Western populations focusing on neurocognitive functioning in patients presenting with undifferentiated somatoform disorders. The aim of the present quest is to examine the presence of cognitive impairment and other health-related parameters among attendees at psychiatric settings in Oman, an Arab/Islamic country, with a diagnosis of undifferentiated somatoform disorder. Method: In order to compare the performance of patients diagnosed with undifferentiated somatoform disorder (n = 20) and normal healthy subjects (n = 18) on indices of attention and concentration, tests of executive functioning, mood, somatization and vegetative functioning were carried out. Results: The performance of patients with undifferentiated somatoform disorder differed from that of normal healthy subjects on the presently operationalized indices of working memory and executive functioning, anxiety, quality of sleep and psychosomatically expressed psychological distress. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study highlighting neurocognitive functioning in patients with undifferentiated somatoform disorders from a non-Western population. This type of study has the potential of shedding light on the covariates of such a debilitating and intransigent condition as undifferentiated somatoform disorder.
KW - Arab
KW - Oman
KW - cross-cultural
KW - neurocognitive functioning
KW - unidentifiable physical illnesses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957363432&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77957363432&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02117.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02117.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 20727107
AN - SCOPUS:77957363432
SN - 1323-1316
VL - 64
SP - 555
EP - 564
JO - Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
JF - Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
IS - 5
ER -