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Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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Published on: January 9, 2015

Superstitiousness in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Peter Brugger1, Isabelle Viaud-Delmon

  • 1Neuropsychology Unit, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. peter.brugger@usz.ch

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
|July 14, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Superstitiousness and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be linked, but distinguishing between superstitious behavior and belief is key. This difference impacts understanding OCD and associated neurocognitive systems.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Speculation exists regarding a continuum between superstitiousness and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • A critical distinction is needed between superstitious behavior and superstitious belief for theoretical clarity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally differentiate between superstitious behavior and superstitious belief (magical ideation).
  • To explore the neurocognitive underpinnings of distinct superstition types.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental demonstration of a dichotomy between superstitious behavior and belief.
  • Analysis of distinct neurocognitive systems associated with each superstition type.

Main Results:

  • A clear, experimentally testable dichotomy exists between superstitious behavior and superstitious belief.
  • Different brain circuits are implicated in superstitious behavior versus superstitious belief.

Conclusions:

  • Differentiating between superstitious behavior and belief is crucial for understanding OCD.
  • Identifying the prominent superstition type in patients can inform about affected neurocognitive systems.