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Related Experiment Videos

Urinary cortisol during exposure in obsessive-compulsive ritualizers.

Y G Kasvikis1, M Basoglu, W Monteiro

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London, Great Britain.

Psychiatry Research
|February 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients showed elevated urinary cortisol levels after exposure to aversive stimuli. Prolonged exposure to these stimuli significantly increased cortisol, correlating with anxiety during the event.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychoneuroendocrinology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
  • The stress response, involving cortisol secretion, is often dysregulated in individuals with OCD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between aversive stimuli, cortisol secretion, and subjective anxiety in individuals with OCD.
  • To examine the impact of stimulus duration on the physiological stress response in OCD patients.

Main Methods:

  • Nineteen participants with OCD (ritualizers) underwent experimental sessions involving neutral and aversive stimuli of varying durations.
  • Urinary cortisol levels and subjective anxiety were measured over 3.5 hours.
  • Cortisol secretion was compared to a baseline control session.

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Main Results:

  • Both brief and prolonged aversive stimuli increased urinary cortisol compared to the control session.
  • Significantly higher cortisol levels were observed after prolonged aversive stimulus exposure.
  • Cortisol response positively correlated with subjective anxiety during prolonged aversive stimulation.

Conclusions:

  • Aversive stimuli can elicit a physiological stress response in individuals with OCD, as indicated by increased cortisol secretion.
  • Prolonged exposure to aversive stimuli exacerbates this cortisol response.
  • The findings suggest a link between the severity of aversive stimulation, anxiety, and the HPA axis in OCD.