Reconciliation of Two Cognitive Models in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An fMRI Study

Objective Although cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) fall into two categories: cognitive deficit models and dysfunctional belief models, these approaches have their own ways and have hardly been reconciled. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential relationships between cognitive deficit (using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, WCST) and dysfunctional belief (measured by scales of dysfunctional beliefs) mediated by neural activity in OCD patients. Methods Thirty OCD patients and 30 healthy participants performed the WCST condition and a baseline MATCH condition during the 3T-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition. Results Engagement of additional frontoparietal networks with poorer performance of WCST was found during the fMRI scan in OCD patients. Selected regions of interest from activated regions have positive relationships with dysfunctional beliefs and with the unacceptable thoughts symptom dimension in the OCD group. Conclusion Findings suggest that alteration in frontoparietal networks related to cognitive deficits can be associated with dysfunctional beliefs while performing conventional neurocognitive tasks and this association with dysfunctional beliefs may be pronounced in the unacceptable thoughts domain-dominant OCD patients.

Neurocognitive And Dysfunctional Belief Candidate Endophenotypes Of Obsessive-Compulsive And Related Disorders

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.

Neurocognitive And Dysfunctional Belief Candidate Endophenotypes Of Obsessive-Compulsive And Related Disorders

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.

Explanatory Study on Career Decision Making Difficulties

Existence of Career Decision Making Difficulty (CDD) is lightly addressed in the career planning and career management body of knowledge. The purpose of this explanatory study was to test the prevalence and the nature of the CDD specifically among the Sri Lankan undergraduates. An explanatory study was carried out with the data of filed survey of 108 valid responses those represent the Sri Lankan universities. The instrument of three facets of CDD [1] was used as the principle measure of responses. Results showed the prevalence of significant level of CDD among undergraduates of Sri Lanka universities. The lack of readiness appears prior to the career decision making process and the great level of CDD is supported by lack of readiness. Lack of information and inconsistent information are too significantly contributing CDD among undergraduates during the career decision making process. Lack of readiness of Sri Lankan undergraduates is mainly due to their dysfunctional belief and general indecisiveness rather than lack of motivation.

Action-outcome knowledge dissociates from behavior in obsessive-compulsive disorder following contingency degradation

ABSTRACTGoal-directed and habitual systems orchestrate action control. In disorders of compulsivity, their interplay seems disrupted and actions persist despite being inappropriate and without relationship to the overall goal. We manipulated action–outcome contingency to test whether actions are goal-directed or habitual in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the prototypical disorder of compulsivity, in which prominent theories have suggested that dysfunctional beliefs underlie the necessity for compulsive actions.OCD patients responded more than controls when an action was causally less related to obtaining an outcome, indicating excessive habitual responding. Patients showed intact explicit action–outcome knowledge but this was not translated normally into behavior; the relationship between causality judgment and responding was blunted. OCD patients’ actions were dissociated from explicit action-outcome knowledge, providing experimental support for the ego-dystonic nature of OCD and suggesting that habitual action is not sustained by dysfunctional belief.

Application of Psycho-Social Management in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Clinical Case Perspective

Objectives: The present study aims to explore the course of generalized anxiety disorder and to assess the application of psycho-social management in alleviating the symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder and to improve the client’s overall functioning. Research design: Case study. Sample and method: This study was carried out in Hyderabad and 33 years old married male was included. Treatment plan was formulated according to psycho-social management wherein different management techniques were utilised to modify the client’s generalized anxiety beliefs and the associated behaviours. Result: Findings of the assessment showed significant distress and impairment in overall functioning. Stressor activates his dysfunctional belief which shifts his attention to minor perceptual disturbance and results in misinterpretation of these trivial variations. Psycho-social management techniques successfully restructured his dysfunctional beliefs and remarkably improved his functioning. Conclusion: On the basis of results, it can be ascertained that psycho-social management is an effective approach to treat generalized anxiety disorder.