| Popis: |
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has proposed a shift toward classifying clusters of disorders on the basis of underlying biomarkers and neurological correlates. The present study sought to determine whether cognitive flexibility represents one such construct underlying obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs), a cluster of disorders characterized by repetitive, habitual, or compulsive behaviors. One-hundred and thirty-two undergraduate students at Kent State University completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales, Padua Inventory—Washington State University Revision, Massachusetts General Hospital—Hairpulling Scale, Skin Picking Scale, and an Intradimensional/Extradimensional Shift (IDED) Test as part of a larger assessment battery. Analyses were performed using a subsample of participants who met criteria for inclusion in the OCRB group and matched controls (n = 64). Results indicated that college students reporting obsessive-compulsive and related behaviors (OCRBs) characteristic of OCRDs do not display significantly greater cognitive flexibility deficits compared to healthy controls. However, greater cognitive flexibility deficits predicted higher OCRB severity–as assessed via a composite repetitive behavior score. These results indicate that while cognitive flexibility may be an important factor in understanding the etiology of OCRBs, future research is needed to replicate these results in larger clinical samples. Potential ancillary neurocognitive correlates underlying OCRDs should also be examined. |
