I dunno, but I have to deal with a couple of database servers at work, and when the database for something big like our online course management system gets corrupted, it tends to spike processor and memory utilization for no apparent good reason; so it would make sense from the standpoint that a Blackberry is a computer.
Following the computer thing, a periodic OS reinstall probably isn't a bad idea for a device as complex as a BB, either (full wipe and reinstall like your method)