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Related Concept Videos

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder01:28

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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Cognitive inflexibility in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Patricia Gruner1, Christopher Pittenger2

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, United States; Learning Based Recovery Center, VA Connecticut Health System, United States.

Neuroscience
|August 6, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) exhibit significant cognitive inflexibility, impacting repetitive behaviors. Further research needs standardized assessments and refined models for executive function (EF) in OCD.

Keywords:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disordercognitive inflexibilityhabitneuropsychologyorbitofrontal cortex

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is clinically defined by repetitive, inflexible cognition and behavior.
  • Neurocognitive studies indicate behavioral and neurobiological abnormalities in cognitive flexibility in individuals with OCD.
  • Meta-analyses confirm a pattern of cognitive inflexibility in OCD, with medium effect sizes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of cognitive flexibility deficits in OCD.
  • To highlight the need for improved standardization and refined models of cognitive flexibility and executive function (EF).
  • To discuss the limitations of traditional neuropsychological assessments and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of meta-analytic findings on cognitive flexibility in OCD.
  • Analysis of various neuropsychological assessments used to measure cognitive flexibility.
  • Discussion of factors influencing performance and interpretation of neuroimaging data.

Main Results:

  • Consistent evidence supports cognitive inflexibility in OCD across various neuropsychological tests.
  • Heterogeneity in assessment methods necessitates better standardization and refined theoretical models.
  • Neuroimaging studies show altered neural activation, sometimes without behavioral deficits, suggesting compensatory mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Traditional cognitive probes may lack the specificity to delineate precise deficits in OCD.
  • A new generation of behavioral tasks, combined with neuroimaging, is needed to understand underlying processes.
  • Refined models and standardized assessments are crucial for advancing research on executive function (EF) in neuropsychiatric disorders like OCD.