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Updated: May 28, 2026
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Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: March 14, 2025
Alpha amplitude and phase locking in obsessive-compulsive disorder during working memory
Jin Young Park1, Jaewon Lee, Hae-Jeong Park
1Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients show altered brain activity during memory encoding. Specifically, they exhibit reduced alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) and increased alpha phase locking, suggesting abnormal excitatory/inhibitory processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization are key indicators of brain activation and inhibition.
- Alpha phase locking is associated with the temporal dynamics of cortical processing.
- Previous research indicated lower alpha ERD in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients during working memory retention and retrieval, but not encoding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alpha amplitude and phase locking during the encoding phase of working memory in OCD patients.
- To examine how memory load affects these neural oscillations in OCD patients compared to controls.
- To explore the relationship between altered alpha oscillations and executive function deficits in OCD during encoding.
Main Methods:
- Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from 15 OCD patients and 15 healthy controls during a Sternberg working memory task.
- Analysis focused on event-related alpha oscillations, specifically desynchronization (ERD) and phase locking, during the encoding phase.
- Behavioral performance was assessed to ensure task comparability between groups.
Main Results:
- OCD patients exhibited significantly lower alpha ERD and stronger alpha phase locking compared to controls during memory encoding.
- Both groups showed increased ERD and phase locking as memory load increased.
- Despite normal behavioral performance, OCD patients displayed distinct patterns of alpha oscillation modulation during encoding.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest abnormal excitatory/inhibitory processes in the brains of OCD patients, as indicated by altered alpha modulation during memory encoding.
- Increased alpha phase locking in OCD patients may reflect excessive attentional excitability during demanding cognitive tasks.
- These neural differences during encoding could contribute to the known memory deficits associated with executive dysfunction in OCD.
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both, which consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning. Obsessions involve persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that evoke anxiety. Common examples include irrational fears of contamination or harm. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. For instance, individuals...
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Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
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