Orienting attention in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions that affect daily functioning. This study aimed to ascertain whether OCD patients have problems in orienting attention, via the use of a vibrotactile choice reaction time task.

Participants were required to depress a button in response to a vibration delivered to the index finger of either the right or left hand. Prior to the stimulus, one of three precues was administered: valid (precue delivered to the same hand as stimulus), invalid (precue delivered to opposite hand to stimulus), or neutral (precue delivered simultaneously to both hands).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder participants were overall slower and less accurate than controls. Contrary to our predictions, OCD participants did not show increased costs or benefits. However, unlike controls, patients did not show the normal pattern of faster reaction times on neutral compared with invalid precues, which may reflect a problem in inhibiting irrelevant information.

Both patients and controls may benefit from the provision of directed attention in tactile tasks when difficulty levels are maximal. OCD patients may have problems with inhibitory control.