Sensory over responsivity and obsessive compulsive symptoms: A cluster analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) may include a sensory subtype characterized by Sensory Phenomena (SP).
• Sensory Over Responsivity (SOR) shares similarities with SP, suggesting a potential link to this OCD subtype.
• Existing research on the interplay between SOR and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms (OCS) is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine correlations between OCS and SOR, including specific sensory modalities and OCS subscales.
• To perform cluster analysis on SOR and OCS dimensions to identify a potential sensory OCD subtype in adults.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) questionnaire.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 350 non-clinical adults via online platforms.
• Administered questionnaires measuring SOR, OCS, and anxiety.
• Conducted correlation analyses and cluster analysis on sensory and OCS data.

Main Results:

• Moderate significant correlations were found between SOR and OCS scores.
• Cluster analysis identified four groups: NONE, BOTH (high OC and SOR), OCS, and SOR.
• The BOTH cluster exhibited higher anxiety and broader SOR across multiple modalities.
• The SPQ demonstrated reliability and suitability for detecting SOR.

Conclusions:

• Sensory Over Responsivity (SOR) is a dimensional trait influencing OCS severity.
• SOR may characterize a distinct sensory subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
• The SPQ is a reliable tool for assessing SOR.