Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2025
09:29
Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Published on: January 9, 2015
15.4K
Association Between Polygenic Risk and Symptom Severity Change After Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for
Julia Bäckman1, John Wallert1, Matthew Halvorsen1,2
1Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
Summary
Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were evaluated for predicting treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients undergoing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). A higher PRS for schizophrenia was linked to less symptom improvement, but overall PRS utility was limited.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Many patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show insufficient response to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
- Identifying predictors of treatment response is crucial for personalized interventions and avoiding treatment failure.
- Previous research on predictors for CBT response in OCD has yielded inconsistent and clinically limited findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive value of nine polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for psychiatric and cognitive traits in OCD patients undergoing CBT.
- To assess the association between PRSs and changes in OCD symptom severity following CBT.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1598 OCD patients (adults and children/adolescents) treated with CBT in Sweden and Norway was analyzed.
- Linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between PRSs and symptom severity change, adjusting for covariates.
- Nine PRSs for psychiatric and cognitive traits were examined as potential predictors.
Main Results:
- A modestly significant association was found between a higher PRS for schizophrenia and a smaller decrease in OCD symptom severity (β=0.013, p=0.04, R²=0.10).
- No other PRS demonstrated a significant association with symptom severity change.
- The overall predictive utility of current PRSs for psychiatric and cognitive phenotypes in this context was limited.
Conclusions:
- Current polygenic risk scores for psychiatric and cognitive traits do not appear to be meaningful predictors of symptom severity change in CBT for OCD.
- Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore other potential genetic or clinical predictors.
- The limited utility of current PRSs suggests a need for developing more refined genetic markers for predicting treatment response in OCD.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
28
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...
28
01:22Behavior Therapy
38
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
38
01:26Modeling in Therapy
39
Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
39
01:18Anxiety: Overview
236
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
236
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
43
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
43
01:24Operant Conditioning Intervention
33
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
33