Obsessive–compulsive disorder: a disorder of pessimal (non‐functional) motor behavior

Zor, Rama; Keren, Hila; Hermesh, Haggai; Szechtman, Henry; Mort, Joel; Eilam, David

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01370.x

Cited by 70 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…These repetitive acts cause dysfunctionality in terms of task completion [18] . Indeed, repetition in OCD is so remarkable, OCD rituals were characterized as comprising not only repetitive thoughts or acts, but also surplus acts, some irrelevant to the patient-ascribed function of the ritual, and that are unique to the patients [6,7] . Specifically, there are 2 major characteristics of OCD rituals: (i) overrepetition of acts; (ii) overaddition of acts, which may be irrelevant to the patient-ascribed function of the ritual.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If the patient adds a word as an explanation to the question, this word is considered as a superfluous addition and thus is counted as an addition. Based on the previous video-finding, we expected that OCD patients would have more additions [6,7] . Our hypothesis was that this deficit in executive functions would also play a role in routine behavior unrelated to the patients' compulsions.…”

Section: Graphical Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For analysis, rituals go through segmentation into a sequence of visits to objects or locations, a segmentation that is based on studying rituals in an animal model of OCD. Comparing videotaped rituals in OCD patients and in healthy controls while using this approach revealed differences in motor behavior between OCD patients and controls [6] . In vivo video documentation and detailed analysis of human OCD rituals demonstrated excess of both unnecessary repetitions (defined as repetitions) and addition of irrelevant, idiosyncratic, unnecessary acts (defined as additions) as compared to normal activity [6,7] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing videotaped rituals in OCD patients and in healthy controls while using this approach revealed differences in motor behavior between OCD patients and controls [6] . In vivo video documentation and detailed analysis of human OCD rituals demonstrated excess of both unnecessary repetitions (defined as repetitions) and addition of irrelevant, idiosyncratic, unnecessary acts (defined as additions) as compared to normal activity [6,7] . To elaborate, in addition to repetitions, compulsive behavior of OCD patients was dominated by brief acts that were not performed by controls who were instructed to perform the same task that the OCD patients were instructed to perform.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is, the goal that OCD patients ascribed to their behavior was accomplished by controls with fewer distinct acts and fewer repetitions of them. Zor et al [6,7] concluded that the abundance of irrelevant or unnecessary acts in OCD motor rituals represents reduced functionality in terms of task completion, typifying OCD rituals as "pessimal" behavior (antonym of optimal behavior).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Nonfunctional Redundant Acts Characterize OCD, Even in OCD-Unrelated Tasks: A Demonstration in Questionnaire Completion

Amitai

Arnon²,

Shaham³

et al. 2017

Psychopathology

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Background: Ethological methods used to analyze human obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rituals demonstrated excess of unnecessary repetitions as well as irrelevant, idiosyncratic acts (additions) compared to normal activity. A question that still remains is whether these well-known repetitions and additions are manifested in behaviors unrelated to the OCD rituals. Our objectives were to: (1) assess whether OCD-related repetitions and additions as found in previous studies also affect the patients' activity of filling out questionnaires and (2) evaluate the specificity of these behaviors to OCD as opposed to other anxiety disorders and healthy controls. Sampling and Methods: Several standardized disorder-specific self-report questionnaires were used in order to assess the patient's psychopathologies. The style of filling-out these questionnaires by OCD and non-OCD anxiety outpatients and normal controls was analyzed. Four categories were used: omissions, repetitions, corrections, and additions. Results: The OCD group scored significantly higher on the number of additions as compared with both the anxiety group and the nonclinical group, and significantly higher on the number of corrections and repetitions as compared with the nonclinical group. Conclusions: The hallmarks of OCD, repetitions and additions, are manifested not only in the patient's rituals and thoughts, but in apparently “neutral” tasks that do not a priori involve the intrusive thoughts, urges, and images typical of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Additions seem to be more specific to OCD than repetitions. These two executive faults impede routine functionality of OCD patients in tasks related and unrelated to their rituals. Our study delineates simple, observable behavioral characteristics that distinguish between OCD and non-OCD anxiety patients as well as healthy individuals. These symptomatic behaviors may offer a clue to personality traits or deficits in executive functions that possibly play a part in the pathophysiology of OCD. Our results are an additional indication that nonfunctionality in obsessive-compulsive behavior deserves full attention for a better understanding of the psychopathological mechanisms of OCD.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Graphical Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Nonfunctional Redundant Acts Characterize OCD, Even in OCD-Unrelated Tasks: A Demonstration in Questionnaire Completion

Amitai

Arnon²,

Shaham³

et al. 2017

Psychopathology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Serotonin and Beyond: A Neurotransmitter Perspective of OCD

Abudy

Juven‐Wetzler

Sonnino

et al. 2012

Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder

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Stereotypies: A critical appraisal and suggestion of a clinically useful definition

2011

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The foundations of the clinical classification of movement disorders rest on the precise definition of the words used to describe the disorders. Here we argue that the current use of the term stereotypy falls well short of the precision needed for either clinical or academic use, and fails both to provide a clinically useful diagnostic category and to define a set of conditions that are linked pathophysiologically. The difficulty in defining this concept is not a new one as our review of the history of the term demonstrates. We synthesise this historical background, explore why clinicians have felt it necessary to use the category of stereotypy for certain movements rather than the related category of tics, discuss the multiple uses of the term in current research and clinical practice and on this basis suggest a new definition and classification.

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Obsessive–compulsive disorder: a disorder of pessimal (non‐functional) motor behavior

Abstract: The abundance of irrelevant or unnecessary acts in OCD motor rituals represents reduced functionality in terms of task completion, typifying OCD rituals as pessimal behavior (antonym of optimal behavior).

Cited by 70 publications

References 34 publications

Nonfunctional Redundant Acts Characterize OCD, Even in OCD-Unrelated Tasks: A Demonstration in Questionnaire Completion

Nonfunctional Redundant Acts Characterize OCD, Even in OCD-Unrelated Tasks: A Demonstration in Questionnaire Completion

Serotonin and Beyond: A Neurotransmitter Perspective of OCD

Stereotypies: A critical appraisal and suggestion of a clinically useful definition

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