Prior Beliefs About the Importance and Control of Thoughts are Predictive But Not Specific to Subsequent Intrusive Unwanted Thoughts and Neutralizing Behaviors

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-375
Author(s):  
Karina Wahl ◽  
Patrizia D. Hofer ◽  
Andrea H. Meyer ◽  
Roselind Lieb
Author(s):  
Maureen L. Whittal ◽  
Melisa Robichaud

The cornerstone of cognitive treatment (CT) for OCD is based upon the knowledge that unwanted intrusions are essentially a universal experience. As such, it is not the presence of the intrusion that is problematic but rather the associated meaning or interpretation. Treatment is flexible, depending upon the nature of the appraisals and beliefs, but can include strategies focused on inflated responsibility and overestimation of threat, importance and control of thoughts, and the need for perfectionism and certainty. The role of concealment and the relationship to personal values are important maintaining and etiological factors. The short-term and long-term treatment outcome is reviewed, along with predictors of treatment response and mechanisms of action, and the chapter concludes with future directions regarding CT for OCD.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jedidiah Siev ◽  
Gail Steketee ◽  
Jeanne M. Fama ◽  
Sabine Wilhelm

Sexual and religious obsessions are often grouped together as unacceptable thoughts, symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) hypothesized to be maintained by maladaptive beliefs about the importance and control of thoughts. Although there is empirical justification for this typology, there are several reasons to suspect that sexual and religious obsessions may differ with respect to associated obsessional beliefs and personality traits. In this study, we examined the associations between sexual and religious obsessions (separately) and (a) putatively obsessional cognitive styles, especially beliefs about the importance and control of thoughts, and responsibility; (b) obsessive-compulsive personality traits; and (c) schizotypal personality traits. Whereas sexual obsessions were predicted only by increased beliefs about the importance and control of thoughts, and contamination obsessions were predicted only by inflated responsibility appraisals and threat estimation, religious obsessions were independently predicted by both of these constructs. In addition, only religious obsessions were related to self-reported obsessive-compulsive personality traits. Researchers and clinicians should be cognizant of potentially important distinctions between sexual and religious obsessions, and the possibility that scrupulous OCD shares processes with both autogenous and reactive presentations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 454-462
Author(s):  
Robert E. Fite ◽  
Sarah L. Adut ◽  
Joshua C. Magee

AbstractBackground:Despite substantial research attention on obsessive beliefs, more research is needed to understand how these beliefs serve as aetiological or maintaining factors for obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Magical thinking may allow individuals to gain a sense of control when experiencing intrusive thoughts and corresponding obsessive beliefs, potentially accounting for why OC belief domains are often related to OC symptoms.Aims:This study examines magical thinking as a mediating variable in the relationship between OC belief domains and symptoms.Method:Undergraduate students (n = 284) reported their obsessive beliefs, magical thinking, and OC symptoms.Results:As expected, there were significant indirect effects for the belief domain of inflated responsibility and over-estimation of threat on OC symptoms via magical thinking. There was also an indirect effect for the belief domain of importance and control of thoughts on OC symptoms via magical thinking. Unexpectedly, there was no indirect effect involving the belief domain of perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty.Conclusions:Magical thinking may be one mechanism through which certain OC beliefs lead to OC symptoms. It may be that magical thinking serves as a coping mechanism in response to elevated beliefs. Future studies should extend these findings across time and clinical samples.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley S. Pietrefesa ◽  
Casey A. Schofield ◽  
Stephen P. Whiteside ◽  
Ingrid Sochting ◽  
Meredith E. Coles

The current study builds from mounting support for a role of OCD-related beliefs in pediatric OCD and evidence suggesting a role of both genetic and environmental factors in conferring risk for obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Specifically, data are presented examining the correspondence in OCD-related beliefs in 28 youth with OCD and their mothers. Findings showed a significant, moderate, positive correlation between youth and their mothers’ beliefs regarding inflated perceptions of personal responsibility and the likelihood of threat. However, perfectionism and certainty beliefs were not significantly correlated across generations, and beliefs regarding the importance and control of thoughts were negatively correlated in youth with OCD and their mothers. These initial findings are consistent with previous studies from unselected adolescents and adults with OCD and their relatives in suggesting that familial loading may be particularly strong for responsibility and threat beliefs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie E. Taillefer

Background: The current dissertation examined neurocognitive and dysfunctional belief candidate endophenotypes (CEs) across the obsessive compulsive spectrum to elucidate general versus specific factors. This study included CEs from two etiological perspectives well established in the literature. Secondary analyses examined several CEs multidimensionally and examined the relationship between CEs and of QOL. Methods: A total of 77 participants took part in this study, divided into four groups; OCD (n = 21), Hoarding Disorder (HD; n = 16), Grooming Disorders which included both Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder (GD; n = 18), and control participants (n = 22). Participants completed a clinical interview and battery of neurocognitive tasks and questionnaires. Results: Those with HD performed worse than controls on measures of response inhibition and set-shifting. OCD continued to predict significant variance in number sequencing. Examination of dysfunctional belief CEs revealed specificity of Responsibility/Threat beliefs and Importance/Control of Thoughts beliefs to OCD. Perfectionism/Intolerance of Uncertainty appear to be broad CEs; however, differing specificity emerged depending on the measure utilized to measure the construct. Self-report indecision revealed specificity to OCD and HD. Differing patterns of QOL impairments emerged across the spectrum. A better understanding of CEs specificity has implications for diagnostic classification, etiology, course, and treatment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie E. Taillefer

Background: The current dissertation examined neurocognitive and dysfunctional belief candidate endophenotypes (CEs) across the obsessive compulsive spectrum to elucidate general versus specific factors. This study included CEs from two etiological perspectives well established in the literature. Secondary analyses examined several CEs multidimensionally and examined the relationship between CEs and of QOL. Methods: A total of 77 participants took part in this study, divided into four groups; OCD (n = 21), Hoarding Disorder (HD; n = 16), Grooming Disorders which included both Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder (GD; n = 18), and control participants (n = 22). Participants completed a clinical interview and battery of neurocognitive tasks and questionnaires. Results: Those with HD performed worse than controls on measures of response inhibition and set-shifting. OCD continued to predict significant variance in number sequencing. Examination of dysfunctional belief CEs revealed specificity of Responsibility/Threat beliefs and Importance/Control of Thoughts beliefs to OCD. Perfectionism/Intolerance of Uncertainty appear to be broad CEs; however, differing specificity emerged depending on the measure utilized to measure the construct. Self-report indecision revealed specificity to OCD and HD. Differing patterns of QOL impairments emerged across the spectrum. A better understanding of CEs specificity has implications for diagnostic classification, etiology, course, and treatment.


Author(s):  
R. R. Dils ◽  
P. S. Follansbee

Electric fields have been applied across oxides growing on a high temperature alloy and control of the oxidation of the material has been demonstrated. At present, three-fold increases in the oxidation rate have been measured in accelerating fields and the oxidation process has been completely stopped in a retarding field.The experiments have been conducted with an iron-base alloy, Pe 25Cr 5A1 0.1Y, although, in principle, any alloy capable of forming an adherent aluminum oxide layer during oxidation can be used. A specimen is polished and oxidized to produce a thin, uniform insulating layer on one surface. Three platinum electrodes are sputtered on the oxide surface and the specimen is reoxidized.


Author(s):  
D. M. DePace

The majority of blood vessels in the superior cervical ganglion possess a continuous endothelium with tight junctions. These same features have been associated with the blood brain barrier of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. These vessels may perform a barrier function between the capillary circulation and the superior cervical ganglion. The permeability of the blood vessels in the superior cervical ganglion of the rat was tested by intravenous injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Three experimental groups of four animals each were given intravenous HRP (Sigma Type II) in a dosage of.08 to.15 mg/gm body weight in.5 ml of.85% saline. The animals were sacrificed at five, ten or 15 minutes following administration of the tracer. Superior cervical ganglia were quickly removed and fixed by immersion in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in Sorenson's.1M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Three control animals received,5ml of saline without HRP. These were sacrificed on the same time schedule. Tissues from experimental and control animals were reacted for peroxidase activity and then processed for routine transmission electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
G. Mazzocchi ◽  
P. Rebuffat ◽  
C. Robba ◽  
P. Vassanelli ◽  
G. G. Nussdorfer

It is well known that the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa steroidogenic activity is controlled by the renin-angiotensin system. The ultrastructural changes in the rat zona glomerulosa cells induced by renovascular hypertension were described previously, but as far as we are aware no correlated biochemical and morphometric investigations were performed.Twenty adult male albino rats were divided into 2 experimental groups. One group was subjected to restriction of blood flow to the left kidney by the application of a silver clip about the left renal artery. The other group was sham-operated and served as a control. Renovascular hypertension developed in about 10 days: sistolic blood pressure averaged 165 ± 6. 4 mmHg, whereas it was about 110 ± 3. 8 mmHg in the control animals. The hypertensive and control rats were sacrificed 20 days after the operation. The blood was collected and plasma renin activity was determined by radioimmunological methods. The aldosterone concentration was radioimmunologically assayed both in the plasma and in the homogenate of the left capsular adrenal gland.


Author(s):  
Henry I. Smith ◽  
D.C. Flanders

Scanning electron beam lithography has been used for a number of years to write submicrometer linewidth patterns in radiation sensitive films (resist films) on substrates. On semi-infinite substrates, electron backscattering severely limits the exposure latitude and control of cross-sectional profile for patterns having fundamental spatial frequencies below about 4000 Å(l),Recently, STEM'S have been used to write patterns with linewidths below 100 Å. To avoid the detrimental effects of electron backscattering however, the substrates had to be carbon foils about 100 Å thick (2,3). X-ray lithography using the very soft radiation in the range 10 - 50 Å avoids the problem of backscattering and thus permits one to replicate on semi-infinite substrates patterns with linewidths of the order of 1000 Å and less, and in addition provides means for controlling cross-sectional profiles. X-radiation in the range 4-10 Å on the other hand is appropriate for replicating patterns in the linewidth range above about 3000 Å, and thus is most appropriate for microelectronic applications (4 - 6).


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