SSRIs in the course of COVID-19 pneumonia: Evidence of effectiveness of antidepressants on acute inflammation. A retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Relationships between inflammation and mood have been observed in terms of pro-inflammatory effects induced by depressive conditions and, in parallel, by an antidepressant-induced favorable effect on the recovery of inflammatory states. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs were hypothesized to improve the prognosis of COVID-19 pneumonia, a typical acute inflammation, in terms of decreased mortality rate and pro-inflammatory cytokine serum levels. METHODS: The medical records of COVID-19 pneumonia inpatients at Careggi University Hospital (Florence) were analyzed for prognosis and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) after admission for over a period of 22 months. Medical records of patients treated at admission and not discontinued until discharge with an SSRI or with vortioxetine were identified. Two groups, one treated with antidepressants, the other not treated, were evaluated according to the mentioned parameters. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: The entire sample composed of 1236 records (recovered patients 77.1%, deceased patients 22.9%). The treated group (n = 107) had a better prognosis than the untreated group in spite of age and comorbidity both being greater than in the untreated group. Correspondingly, IL-6 levels in the treated group were significantly lower (p < 0.01) than the levels in the untreated group, in every comparison. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes of this study support the hypothesis of the favorable influence of some antidepressants on the prognosis of COVID-19, possibly mediated by IL-6 modulation. Reduction in acute inflammation induced by the action of antidepressants was confirmed.

Computer-aided diagnosis in prostate cancer: a retrospective evaluation of the Watson Elementary® system for preoperative tumor characterization in patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) may improve prostate cancer (PCa) detection and support multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) readers for better characterization. We evaluated Watson Elementary® (WE®) CAD system results referring to definitive pathological examination in patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in a tertiary referral center. METHODS: Patients treated with RARP between 2020 and 2021 were selected. WE® calculates the Malignancy Attention Index (MAI), starting from the information contained in the mpMRI images. Outcome measures were the capability to predict the presence of PCa, to correctly locate the dominant lesion, to delimit the largest diameter of the dominant lesion, and to predict the extraprostatic extension (EPE). RESULTS: Overall, tumor presence was confirmed in 46 (92%) WE® highly suspicious areas, while it was confirmed in 43 (86%) mpMRI PI-RADS ≥ 4 lesions. The WE® showed a positive agreement with mpMRI of 92%. In 98% of cases, visible tumor at WE® showed that the highly suspicious areas were within the same prostate sector of the dominant tumor nodule at pathology. WE® showed a 2.5 mm median difference of diameter with pathology, compared with a 3.8 mm of mpMRI versus pathology (p = 0.019). In prediction of EPE, WE® and mpMRI showed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 0.81 vs 0.71, 0.56 vs 0.60, 0.88 vs 0.85 and 0.42 vs 0.40, respectively. CONCLUSION: The WE® system resulted accurate in the PCa dominant lesion detection, localization and delimitation providing additional information concerning EPE prediction.

Decrease of air pollution during lockdown in Tuscany (Italy): An effect on sperm DNA fragmentation?

In March 2020, the Italian government imposed a national lockdown which was almost completely removed in June 2020. Due to the abrupt stop of human activities, emissions of air pollutants decreased. Air pollution is an environmental risk factor for noncommunicable disease and mortality. Emerging evidence also suggests a role in male infertility. In this study, we compared sperm DNA fragmentation (sDF) levels and conventional semen parameters between subjects undergoing sDF determination and routine semen analysis in a single Italian centre, during about 6 months before (N = 119) and after lockdown (N = 105). After lockdown, we found an improvement of sperm progressive motility (48.00[38.50-58.00]% vs. 42.00[33.00-53.00]%) and sDF levels (as total: 24.79[18.33-33.97]% vs. 35.02[25.04-45.73]%, p < .001; brighter: 14.02[10.69-17.93]% vs 18.54[13.58-25.82]%, p < .001 and dimmer sDF: 9.24[5.64-15.78]% vs. 12.24[8.08-19.10]%, p < .01), mirrored by a decrease of leukocyte semen concentration (p < .01). The improvement of sperm motility and DNA quality was maintained after adjusting for leukocyte concentration and several conditions known to affect sperm motility and/or sDF levels. With a significant decrease in air pollution observed in Tuscany during and after lockdown, associated improvement in sperm motility and DNA quality in patients referred to the infertility clinic is suggestive of the potential role of air pollution in male infertility.

Resistome and virulome accretion in an NDM-1-producing ST147 sublineage of Klebsiella pneumoniae associated with an outbreak in Tuscany, Italy: a genotypic and phenotypic characterisation.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), particularly those producing metallo-ß-lactamases, are among the most challenging antibiotic-resistant pathogens, causing outbreaks of difficult-to-treat nosocomial infections worldwide. Since November 2018, an outbreak of New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamases-positive CPE (NDM-CPE) has emerged in Tuscany, Italy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the NDM-CPE associated with the outbreak and characterise the responsible Klebsiella pneumoniae clone. METHODS: We used whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to characterise NDM-CPE isolates that caused bloodstream infections in 53 patients at 11 hospitals in Tuscany and that were collected between Jan 1, 2018, and July 5, 2019 (ie, the early phase of the outbreak and preceding months). The CPE isolates characterised in this study were isolated and identified at the species level and as NDM producers by six diagnostic microbiology laboratories that serve the 11 hospitals. We used comparative genomic analysis, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, plasmid conjugal transfer assays, evaluation of virulence potential in the Galleria mellonella infection model, and serum bactericidal assays to further characterise the clone causing the outbreak. FINDINGS: The outbreak was sustained by an ST147 K pneumoniae producing NDM-1, which had a complex resistome that mediated resistance to most antimicrobials (except cefiderocol, the aztreonam-avibactam combination, colistin, and fosfomycin). The clone belonged to a sublineage of probably recent evolution, occurred by the sequential acquisition of an integrative and conjugative element encoding the yersiniabactin siderophore, an FIB(pQil)-type multiresistance plasmid carrying blaNDM-1, and a transferable chimeric plasmid, derived from virulence elements of hypervirulent K pneumoniae, carrying several resistance and virulence determinants. Infection of G mellonella larvae revealed a variable virulence potential. The behaviour in serum bactericidal assays was different from typical hypervirulent K pneumoniae strains, with variable grades of serum resistance apparently associated with mutations in specific chromosomal loci (csrD, pal, and ramR). INTERPRETATION: This description of a sublineage of ST147 K pneumoniae with a complex resistome and virulome that is capable of sustaining a large regional outbreak adds to existing research on the evolutionary trajectories within high-risk clones of K pneumoniae. Global surveillance programmes are warranted to track the dissemination of these lineages, and to prevent and control their spread. FUNDING: Italian Ministry of Health and Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence.

How to improve hospital admission screening for patients at risk of multidrug-resistant organism carriage: a before-and-after interventional study and cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a prioritised task for healthcare workers in emergency department (ED). Here, we examined compliance with admission screening (AS) and additional precautions (AP) measures for patients at risk of infection with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) by using a two-stage, multifaceted educational intervention, also comparing the cost of a developed automated indicator for AS and AP compliance and clinical audits to sustain observed findings. METHODS: In the first stage, staff in the ED of the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, were briefed on IPC measures (AS and AP). A cross-sectional survey was then conducted to assess barriers to IPC measures. In the second stage, healthcare workers underwent training sessions, and an electronic patient record 'order-set' including AS and AP compliance indicators was designed. We compared the cost-benefit of the audits and the automated indicators for AS and AP compliance. RESULTS: Compliance significantly improved after training, from 36.2% (95% CI 23.6% to 48.8%) to 78.8% (95% CI 67.1% to 90.3%) for AS (n=100, p=0.0050) and from 50.2% (95% CI 45.3% to 55.1%) to 68.5% (95% CI 60.1% to 76.9%) for AP (n=125, p=0.0092). Healthcare workers recognised MDRO screening as an ED task (70.2%), with greater acknowledgment of risk factors at AS considered an ED duty. The monthly cost was higher for clinical audits than the automated indicator, with a reported yearly cost of US$120 203. The initial cost of developing the automated indicator was US$18 290 and its return on investment US$3.44 per US$1 invested. CONCLUSION: Training ED staff increased compliance with IPC measures when accompanied by team discussions for optimal effectiveness. An automated indicator of compliance is cheaper and closer to real-time than a clinical audit.

Coping strategies at the frontline of care: Comparisons between Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 units' nurses and the role of moderator variables.

INTRODUCTION: Relatively few studies focused on the coping strategies adopted by the healthcare workers during the second phase of the pandemic. The present study compared the coping strategies between Italian nurses working in Covid-19 and in other units and it explored whether socio-demographic and work-related variables moderate the relation between the type of unit and coping strategies. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire that included sociodemographic and work-related questions and the Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced-New Italian Version-25 item was administered. Moderation effects between variables and coping strategies were analyzed using generalized linear models. RESULTS: 253 nurses participated. Nurses who worked in a Covid-19 unit had significantly lower scores on Avoidance Strategies subscale and higher scores on Positive Attitude and Social Support subscales than nurses working in other units. DISCUSSION: Gender differences emerged only on the social support coping dimension, with women being more likely to adopt social support than men. No association between the type of unit and the other coping strategies was found. CONCLUSION: Nurses working in Covid-19 units showed better coping strategies than their colleagues: this suggests that support interventions aimed to promote coping strategies should be offered also to Covid-19-free units' nurses.

General and Vulnerable Population's Satisfaction With the Healthcare System in Urban and Rural Areas: Findings From the European Social Survey.

Introduction: Access to the healthcare system when patients are vulnerable and living outside metropolitan areas can be challenging. Our objective was to explore healthcare system satisfaction of urban and rural inhabitants depending on financial and health vulnerabilities. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional data from 353,523 European citizens (2002-2016). Multivariable associations between rural areas, vulnerability factors and satisfaction with the healthcare system were assessed with linear mixed regressions and adjusted with sociodemographic and control factors. Results: In unadjusted analysis, the people who lived in houses in the countryside and those who lived in the suburbs were the most satisfied with the healthcare system. In the adjusted model, residents living in big cities had the highest satisfaction. Financial and health vulnerabilities were associated with less satisfaction with the healthcare system, with a different effect according to the area of residence: the presence of health vulnerability was more negatively correlated with the healthcare system satisfaction of big city inhabitants, whereas financial vulnerability was more negatively correlated with the satisfaction of those living in countryside homes. Conclusion: Vulnerable residents, depending on their area of residence, may require special attention to increase their satisfaction with the healthcare system.

Perception of the COVID-19 pandemic among people with spinal cord injury: an Italian survey.

STUDY DESIGN: An observational study based on an online survey to explore if the participant had experienced (1) cancellation or delay of scheduled health services (2) reduction of assistance provided by a caregiver (3) barriers to social participation and recreational activities. Three validated questionnaires to investigate well-being and symptoms of anxiety and depression were also administered. OBJECTIVES: Our main aim was to quantify the obstacles experienced by adults living with SCI in Italy during COVID-19 pandemic, to explore the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms and to quantify subjective well-being. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a Spinal Unit in Italy. METHODS: Online survey via direct contact and by e-mail lists. RESULTS: In total, 101 individuals completed the survey. Of, 82.2% participants reported a history of deferment or cancellation of non-COVID-19 health services. The majority (56.4%) revealed that, at least seldom, they have chosen to reduce their usual everyday activities and more than one third (37.6%) affirmed that they had been forced to renounce to one or more of their occupations. Discontinuation of assistance by caregivers was uncommon. The median score of questionnaires measuring depression and anxiety symptoms do not differ significatively when compared with prior studies. The variable that explored the limitations experienced in everyday activities showed a significant correlation with the results of the questionnaires measuring well-being and symptoms of anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that our results could contribute to the discussion ongoing inside our community on how to answer to the new challenges of this pandemic period and of the post-pandemic future.

[Point-of-care blood gas analysis as a tool for COVID-19 patients: a prehospital setting experience.] / L'emogasanalisi point-of-care come strumento discriminante sui pazienti positivi a covid-19: l'esperienza di Arezzo in ambiente preospedaliero.

Portable blood gas analyzers are intended for blood Point-of-care testing (POCT); they make it possible to perform the examination directly at the patient's bed. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this device proved useful in emergency medical service for the early assessment of respiratory distress, allowing the appropriate care level to be determined for each patient. 25 cases of covid-19 positive patients in the province of Arezzo were analyzed; POCT blood gas analysis made it possible to evaluate and treat at home about half of the patients (52%) and to admit the others directly to the most appropriate ward. However, some critical issues were found; the limited sample size suggest further research to assess the actual impact of this technology.

Effects of a pressure-ulcer audit and feedback regional programme at 1 and 2 years in nursing homes: A prospective longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Pressure ulcer is a frequent complication in patients hospitalized in nursing homes and has a serious impact on quality of life and overall health. Moreover, ulcer treatment is highly expensive. Several studies have shown that pressure ulcer prevention is cost-effective. Audit and feedback programmes can help improve professional practices in pressure ulcer prevention and thus reduce their occurrence. The aim of this study was to analyze, with a prospective longitudinal study, the effectiveness of an audit and feedback programme at 1- and 2-year follow-up for reducing pressure ulcer prevalence and enhancing adherence to preventive practices in nursing homes. METHODS: Pressure ulcer point prevalence and preventive practices were measured in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in nursing homes of the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland). Oral and written feedback was provided 2 months after every survey to nursing home reference nurses. RESULTS: A total of 27 nursing homes participated in the programme in 2015 and 2016 (4607 patients) and 15 continued in 2017 (1357 patients). Patients were mostly females, with mean age > 86 years and median length of stay about 2 years. The programme significantly improved two preventive measures: patient repositioning and anti-decubitus bed or mattress. It also reduced acquired pressure ulcers prevalence in nursing homes that participated during all 3 years (from 4.5% in 2015 to 2.9% in 2017, p 0.035), especially in those with more patients with pressure ulcers. CONCLUSION: Audit and feedback is relatively easy to implement at the regional level in nursing homes and can enhance adherence to preventive measures and reduce pressure ulcers prevalence in the homes.

Prolonged outbreak of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE), Tuscany, Italy, 2018 to 2019.

In Tuscany, Italy, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE) have increased since November 2018. Between November 2018 and October 2019, 1,645 samples were NDM-CRE-positive: 1,270 (77.2%) cases of intestinal carriage, 129 (7.8%) bloodstream infections and 246 (14.9%) infections/colonisations at other sites. Klebsiella pneumoniae were prevalent (1,495; 90.9%), with ST147/NDM-1 the dominant clone. Delayed outbreak identification and response resulted in sustained NDM-CRE transmission in the North-West area of Tuscany, but successfully contained spread within the region.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Bloodstream Infections Caused by New Delhi Metallo-ß-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales During a Regional Outbreak.

Limited data about New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM) bacteremia are available. Blood isolates from 40 patients with NDM bacteremia were studied for antibiotic susceptibility and whole-genomic sequencing. NDM bacteremia has high 30-day mortality. In most cases, aztreonam-avibactam is active in vitro. Ceftazidime-avibactam plus aztreonam may represent a feasible therapeutic option.

Variation in pressure ulcer prevalence and prevention in nursing homes: A multicenter study.

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of pressure ulcers in nursing homes and its variability, the frequency of use of preventive measures and treatment. BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcer is a frequent pathology across healthcare settings. Most pressure ulcers are preventable and are considered an important quality of care indicator. METHODS: Assessments were done on a single day of November 2015 in nursing homes in Geneva, Switzerland. Of the 51 institutions (3824 patients) eligible, 33 homes agreed to participate, representing 2671 patients (69.8%). One referent nurse per nursing home received training on pressure ulcer detection. To estimate the residual variability in prevalence and in number of prevention measures, adjusted multilevel logistic regressions were used. RESULTS: Patients were on average 85.6 years old, with a median length of stay of 2.1 years. The overall prevalence was 5.7% but varied considerably, from 0% to 19.6%. The variability across nursing homes decreased slightly when taking into account patient-level and institution-level characteristics. In the adjusted models, pressure ulcers prevalence was significantly associated with Braden risk; number of preventive measures was significantly associated with nursing home size, and Braden risk, and marginally associated with length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Overall prevalence of pressure ulcers was relatively low. While several prevention measures for patients at risk were taken, the correct use of all of them was rare. The variability in prevalence and in number of preventive measures across nursing homes was very high. Programmes focusing on the correct use of all recommended prevention measures could help reducing pressure ulcers prevalence.

[Is the Patient Dignity Inventory suitable even for not end of life patients? Factorial structure and invariance in chronic patients]. / Il Patient Dignity Inventory è utilizzabile anche in pazienti che non sono in fine vita? Struttura fattoriale e invarianza in pazienti con patologie croniche.

INTRODUCTION: The sense of dignity is a multifactorial feeling influenced also by the healthcare context. PDI-IT is a tool that measures this construct, but its psychometric characteristics have not been adequately investigated in patients which are not experiencing and End- Of-Life condition. The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric characteristics of PDI-IT in a group of non-terminal chronic patients and to verify the instrument's invariance with respect to the individual characteristics of patients. METHODS: A multicentric study was conducted on 421 patients undergoing ambulatory care or hospitalized in specialized medical, surgical and oncological areas. The study of the PDIIT validity in this population was achieved by structural equation (SEM) models; reliability was assessed by Cronbach's Alpha, whereas invariance was studied through multigroup analysis. RESULTS: Findings show an excellent reliability and confirm the monodimensionality of the theoretical structure. After the model optimization interventions, fit indices point out a good data fitting on the reference model. The instrument is invariant with respect to individual characteristics (sex and age) but does not appear to be appropriate for all chronic patients. DISCUSSION: Although with some cautions about the state of progression of the disease, PDIIT seems to be a valid and reliable tool, useful in measuring the sense of dignity even in populations of chronic patients. Future research should address the development of a short form of the tool.

Impulsivity and decision-making in obsessive-compulsive disorder after effective deep brain stimulation or treatment as usual.

OBJECTIVE: Impulsivity and impaired decision-making have been proposed as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) endophenotypes, running in OCD and their healthy relatives independently of symptom severity and medication status. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the ventral limb of the internal capsule (vALIC) and the nucleus accumbens (Nacc) is an effective treatment strategy for treatment-refractory OCD. The effectiveness of vALIC-DBS for OCD has been linked to its effects on a frontostriatal network that is also implicated in reward, impulse control, and decision-making. While vALIC-DBS has been shown to restore reward dysfunction in OCD patients, little is known about the effects of vALIC-DBS on impulsivity and decision-making. The aim of the study was to compare cognitive impulsivity and decision-making between OCD patients undergoing effective vALIC-DBS or treatment as usual (TAU), and healthy controls. METHODS: We used decision-making performances under ambiguity on the Iowa Gambling Task and reflection impulsivity on the Beads Task to compare 20 OCD patients effectively treated with vALIC-DBS, 40 matched OCD patients undergoing effective TAU (medication and/or cognitive behavioural therapy), and 40 healthy subjects. Effective treatment was defined as at least 35% improvement of OCD symptoms. RESULTS: OCD patients, irrespective of treatment modality (DBS or TAU), showed increased reflection impulsivity and impaired decision-making compared to healthy controls. No differences were observed between OCD patients treated with DBS or TAU. CONCLUSION: OCD patients effectively treated with vALIC-DBS or TAU display increased reflection impulsivity and impaired decision-making independent of the type of treatment.

Atomoxetine for hoarding disorder: A pre-clinical and clinical investigation.

Despite several studies suggested that inattention and impulsivity-compulsivity could represent two core dimensions of hoarding disorder (HD), only a small case series study investigated the effectiveness of attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD) medications in HD. The aim of the present study was to target attentional and inhibitory control networks in HD patients through the ADHD medication atomoxetine, moving from a preclinical investigation on an animal model of compulsive-like behavior (marble burying test) to a clinical investigation on both medicated and unmedicated patients with a primary diagnosis of HD without ADHD. Our preclinical investigation showed that acute administration of atomoxetine significantly reduced the compulsive-like behaviours of mice in the marble burying test without affecting neither locomotor activity and coordination nor exploration behaviours. When compared, atomoxetine and fluoxetine showed similar effects on the marble burying test. However, fluoxetine impaired both locomotor and exploratory activity. In our clinical investigation 12 patients were enrolled and 11 patients completed an open trial with atomoxetine at flexible dose (40-80 mg) for 12 weeks. At the endpoint the mean UCLA Hoarding Severity Scale score decreased by 41.3% for the whole group (p = 0003). Six patients were classified as full responders (mean symptom reduction of 57.2%) and three patients as partial responders (mean symptom reduction of 27.3%). Inattentive and impulsivity symptoms showed a significant mean score reduction of 18.5% from baseline to the endpoint (F (1,9) = 20.9, p = 0.0013). Hoarding symptoms improvement was correlated to reduction of patients' disability and increased in their global functioning. These preclinical and clinical data suggest that atomoxetine may be effective for HD and therefore should be considered for future controlled trials.

Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Distinguishing Between Mucin-Producing and Serous Pancreatic Cysts.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of diffusion-weighted imaging in distinguishing between mucin-producing and serous pancreatic cysts. METHODS: Forty-four pancreatic cysts (43 patients, 27 women; mean age, 57 years; 26 mucin-producing cysts, 18 serous cysts) that underwent histological examination or cyst analysis after diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging were retrospectively reviewed. Three blinded readers independently evaluated signal intensity and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Intraobserver and interobserver agreements were calculated. Fisher exact test and Welch t test were used to compare signal intensity and ADC values, respectively, with pathological results. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine diagnostic accuracy of various thresholds for ADC. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Mean ADC values of the mucin-producing cysts were 3.26 × 10, 3.27 × 10, and 3.35 × 10 mm/s for the 3 readers, respectively. Mean ADC values of the serous cysts were 2.86 × 10, 2.85 × 10, and 2.85 × 10 mm/s for the 3 readers, respectively. Differences in ADC values between the 2 cyst groups were 12.4%, 12.9%, and 14.8% for the 3 readers, respectively (P < 0.001). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement was excellent. A threshold ADC of 3 × 10 mm/s resulted in correct identification of cysts in 77% to 81% of cases, with sensitivity and specificity ranging between 84% and 88% and 66% and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion-weighted imaging may be a helpful tool in distinguishing between mucin-producing and serous pancreatic cysts.

Think twice: Impulsivity and decision making in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent studies have challenged the anxiety-avoidance model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), linking OCD to impulsivity, risky-decision-making and reward-system dysfunction, which can also be found in addiction and might support the conceptualization of OCD as a behavioral addiction. Here, we conducted an exploratory investigation of the behavioral addiction model of OCD by assessing whether OCD patients are more impulsive, have impaired decision-making, and biased probabilistic reasoning, three core dimensions of addiction, in a sample of OCD patients and healthy controls. METHODS: We assessed these dimensions on 38 OCD patients and 39 healthy controls with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Beads Task. RESULTS: OCD patients had significantly higher BIS-11 scores than controls, in particular on the cognitive subscales. They performed significantly worse than controls on the IGT preferring immediate reward despite negative future consequences, and did not learn from losses. Finally, OCD patients demonstrated biased probabilistic reasoning as reflected by significantly fewer draws to decision than controls on the Beads Task. CONCLUSIONS: OCD patients are more impulsive than controls and demonstrate risky decision-making and biased probabilistic reasoning. These results might suggest that other conceptualizations of OCD, such as the behavioral addiction model, may be more suitable than the anxiety-avoidance one. However, further studies directly comparing OCD and behavioral addiction patients are needed in order to scrutinize this model.