P.001 Planning & decision-making in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) through the lens of ERP: a comparative analysis

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of impulsivity on the planning & decision-making of individuals with OCD compared to a control group, focusing on amplitude and latency during the Tower of London (TOL) task. Methods: A sample of a total of 76 (dominantly right-handed & aged between 18-30 yrs) participated. Participants with OCD were assessed with the Y-BOCS & symptom checklist, BIS-11, and the HCs were screened with the GHQ-12. ERP components were measured by using TOL on E-prime 3.0. The amplitude and latency along with the spectral power for each problem-solving task were measured and analyzed. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in the Latency variable in the left frontal area of the brain, indicating distinctive latency patterns in individuals with OCD compared to controls. No statistically significant differences were observed in amplitude or latency for other move sequences. High spectral activity was detected in individuals with OCD for an extended period. Conclusions: Individuals with OCD exhibit higher activity indicative of ambivalence during decision-making which indicates that to overcome impulsive urges, thus they need to put more cognitive effort to maintain the same outcomes. To maintain error-free results obsessive & compulsive behaviors are a necessary evil.