Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T00:00:59.909Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Along the fringes of Agency: neurodevelopmental account of the obsessive mind

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2021

Michele Poletti Open the ORCID record for Michele Poletti [Opens in a new window] ,
Eva Gebhardt  and
Andrea Raballo
Michele Poletti*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Service, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Eva Gebhardt
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, ASL Roma 4, Roma, Italy
Andrea Raballo
Affiliation:
Section of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy Center for Translational, Phenomenological and Developmental Psychopathology (CTPDP), Perugia University Hospital, Perugia, Italy
*
*Address correspondence to: Dr. Michele Poletti Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The experiential core of the obsessive mind rests on subtle, primary mental phenomena (such as obsessions and so called “sensory phenomena”) which precede and trigger behavioral compulsions. Converging evidence supports a possible pathophysiological role for altered corollary discharge (phenotypically expressed in sensorimotor symptoms and contributing to a reduced Sense of Agency [SoA]), in the neurodevelopment of obsessions and “sensory phenomena.” In phenomenological terms, “sensory phenomena” may represent the subjective experiential resonance of an individual history of persistent inaccurate sensory predictions, whereas accompanying manifestations, such as the obsessive need for order and symmetry, may represent a compensatory attempt to mitigate “sensory phenomena” (eg, by increasing the sensory predictability of the surrounding world). Since disturbances of both SoA and Sense of Ownership have been thematized as potential pathogenetic factors in the neurodevelopment of the psychotic mind, a dimensional account of altered sensorimotor prediction may partly explain the affinities (and high comorbidity) between obsessive–compulsive disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Keywords

Obsessive–compulsive disordersensory phenomenacorollary dischargeSense of Agencyschizophrenia spectrum disordersneurodevelopment
Type
Perspective
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , October 2022 , pp. 557 - 560
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Schneider, K. Begriffliche Untersuchung über den Zwang. Allg Z Psychiatr. 1939;112:17–24.Google Scholar
Hirschtritt, ME, Block, MH, Mathews, CA. Obsessive–compulsive disorder: advances in diagnosis and treatment. JAMA. 2017;317(13):1358–1367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robbins, TW, Vaghi, MM, Banca, P. Obsessive–compulsive disorder: puzzles and prospects. Neuron. 2019;102(1):27–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stein, DJ, Costa, DLC, Lochner, C, et al. Obsessive–compulsive disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019;5(1):52. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miguel, EC, do-Rosario-Campos, MC, Prado, HS, et al. Sensory phenomena in obsessive–compulsive disorder and Tourette’s disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2000;61(2):150–156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prado, HS, Rosario, MC, Lee, J, et al. Sensory phenomena in obsessive–compulsive disorder and tic disorders: a review of the literature. CNS Spectr. 2008;13(5):425–432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrão, YA, Shavitt, RG, Prado, H, et al. Sensory phenomena associated with repetitive behaviors in obsessive–compulsive disorder: an exploratory study of 1001 patients. Psychiatry Res. 2012;197(3):253–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Belayachi, S, Van der Linden, M. Looking for outcomes: the experience of control and sense of agency in obsessive–compulsive behaviors. In: Balconi, M, ed. Neuropsychology of the Sense of Agency. From Consciousness to Action. Milan: Springer; 2010:157–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szalak, J. The sense of agency in OCD. Rev Phil Psychol. 2019;10:363–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haggard, P, Clark, S, Kalogeras, J. Voluntary action and conscious awareness. Nat Neurosci. 2002;5(4):382–385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haggard, P. Sense of Agency in the human brain. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2017;18(4):196–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, TI, Shafran, R. Obsessive–compulsive disorder in young people. BJPsych Adv. 2015;21:196–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krebs, G, Heyman, I. Obsessive–compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. Arch Dis Child. 2015;100:495–499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burgy, M. Obsession in the strict sense: a helpful psychopathological phenomenon in the differential diagnosis between obsessive–compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Psychopathology. 2007;40(2):102–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burgy, M. Phenomenology of obsessive–compulsive disorder: a methodologically structured overview. Psychopathology. 2019;52(3):174–183.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brakoulias, V, Perkes, IE, Tsalamanios, E. A call for prevention and early intervention in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Early Interv Psychiatry. 2018;12(4):572–577.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fontenelle, LF, Yucel, M. A clinical staging model for obsessive–compulsive disorders: is it ready for prime time? EClinicalMedicine. 2019;7:65–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finenberg, NA, Dell’Osso, B, Albert, U, et al. Early intervention for obsessive compulsive disorder: an expert consensus statement. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019;29(4):549–565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walitza, S, Van Ameringen, M, Geller, D. Early detection and intervention for obsessive–compulsive disorder in childhood and adolescence. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2020;4(2):99–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosenberg, DR, Keshavan, MS. Toward a neurodevelopmental model of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 1998;43(9):623–640.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brander, G, Rydell, M, Kuja-Halkola, R, et al. Association of perinatal risk factors with obsessive–compulsive disorder. A population-based birth cohort, sibling control study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(11):1135–1144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wobrock, T, Gruber, O, McIntosh, AM, et al. Reduced prefrontal gyrification in obsessive compulsive disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2010;260(6):455–464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rus, OG, Reess, TJ, Wagner, G, et al. Hypogyrification in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Psychol Med. 2017;47(6):1053–1061.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reess, TJ, Rus, OG, Gursel, DA, et al. Network-based decoupling of local gyrification in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Hum Brain Mapp. 2018;39(8):3216–3226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaafari, N, Fernandez de la Cruz, L, Grau, M, et al. Neurological soft signs in obsessive–compulsive disorder: two empirical studies and meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2013;43(5):1069–1079.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ben-Sasson, A, Podoly, TY. Sensory over-responsivity and obsessive compulsive symptoms: a cluster analysis. Compr Psychiatry. 2017;73:151–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Hulle, CA, Esbensen, K, Goldsmith, HH. Co-occurrence of sensory over-responsivity with obsessive–compulsive symptoms in childhood and early adolescence. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2019;40(5):377–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crapse, TB, Sommer, MA. Corollary discharge across the animal kingdom. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008;9(8):587–600.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolpert, DM, Ghahramani, Z, Jordan, MI. An internal model for sensorimotor integration. Science. 1995;269(5232):1880–1882.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Synofzik, M, Vosgerau, G, Newen, A. Beyond the comparator model: a multifactorial two-step account of agency. Conscious Cogn. 2008;17(1):219–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carruthers, G. The case for the comparator model as an explanation of the sense of agency and its breakdowns. Conscious Cogn. 2012;21(1):30–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poletti, M, Tortorella, A, Raballo, A. Impaired corollary discharge in psychosis and at risk states: integrating neurodevelopmental, phenomenological and clinical perspectives. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2019;4(9):832–841.Google ScholarPubMed
Gentsch, A, Schutz-Bosbach, S, Endrass, T, et al. Dysfunctional forward model mechanisms and aberrant sense of agency in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2012;71(7):652–659.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, JC, Prado, HS, Diniz, JB, et al. Perfectionism and sensory phenomena: phenotypic components of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Compr Psychiatry. 2009;50(5):431–436.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hermans, D, Martens, K, De Cort, K, et al. Reality monitoring and metacognitive beliefs related to cognitive confidence in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behav Res Ther. 2003;41(4):383–401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lavalle, L, Bation, R, Dondè, C, et al. Dissociable source-monitoring impairments in obsessive–compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Eur Psychiatry. 2020;63(1):e54 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tsakiris, M, Schutz-Bosbach, S, Gallagher, S. On agency and body ownership. Conscious Cogn. 2007;16(3):645–660.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braun, N, Debener, S, Spychala, N, et al. The senses of agency and ownership. Front Psychol. 2018;9:535 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fradkin, I, Eitam, B, Strauss, AY, et al. Thoughts as unexpected intruders: context, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and the sense of agency over thoughts. Clin Psychol Sci. 2019;7(1):162–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giuliani, M, Martoni, RM, Gregori Grgič, R, et al. Who has done it? Exploring gaze agency in obsessive–compulsive checkers. Front Integr Neurosci. 2017;11:39 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ezrati, O, Sherman, E, Dar, R. High obsessive–compulsive individuals may have attenuated access to internal cues associated with active movement: evidence from a head repositioning study. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2018;60:1–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oren, E, Eitam, B, Dar, R. Intentional binding and obsessive–compulsive tendencies: a dissociation between indirect and direct measures of the sense of agency. J Obsess Compuls Relat Disord. 2019;20:59–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grisham, JR, Anderson, TM, Poulton, R, et al. Childhood neuropsychological deficits associated with adult obsessive–compulsive disorder. Br J Psychiatry. 2009;195(2):138–141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grisham, JR, Fullana, MA, Mataix-Cols, D, et al. Risk factors prospectively associated with adult obsessive–compulsive symptom dimensions and obsessive–compulsive disorder. Psychol Med. 2011;41(12):2495–2506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bloch, MH, Sukhodolsky, DG, Dombrowski, PA, et al. Poor fine-motor and visuospatial skills predict persistence of pediatric-onset obsessive–compulsive disorder into adulthood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2011;52(9):974–983.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marzuki, AA, Pereira de Souza, AMFL, Sahakian, BJ, Robbins, TW. Are candidate neurocognitive endophenotypes of OCD present in paediatric patients? A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;108:617–645.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loosen, AM, Hauser, TU. Towards a computational psychiatry of juvenile obsessive–compulsive disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;118:631–642.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fradkin, I, Adams, RA, Parr, T, et al. Searching for an anchor in an unpredictable word: a computational model of obsessive compulsive disorder. Psychol Rev. 2020;127(5):672–699.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poletti, M, Gebhardt, E, Raballo, A. Corollary discharge, self-agency and the neurodevelopment of the psychotic mind. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(11):1169–1170.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poletti, M, Gebhardt, E, Kvande, MN, et al. Motor impairment and developmental psychotic risk: connecting the dots and narrowing the pathophysiological gap. Schizophr Bull. 2019;45(3):503–508.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cederlof, M, Lichtenstein, P, Larsson, H, et al. Obsessive–compulsive disorder, psychosis, and bipolarity: a longitudinal cohort and multigenerational family study. Schizophr Bull. 2015;41(5):1076–1083.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheng, YF, Chen, VC, Yang, YH, et al. Risk of schizophrenia among people with obsessive–compulsive disorder: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Schizophr Res. 2019;209:58–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meier, SM, Petersen, L, Pedersen, MG, et al. Obsessive–compulsive disorder as a risk factor for schizophrenia: a nationwide study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(11):1215–1221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zilhao, NR, Abdellaoui, A, Smit, DJA, et al. Polygenic prediction of obsessive compulsive symptoms. Mol. Psychiatry. 2018;23(2):168–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poyurovsky, M, Koran, LM. Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) with schizotypy vs. schizophrenia with OCD: diagnostic dilemmas and therapeutic implications. J Psychiatr Res. 2005;39(4):399–408.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bey, K, Meyhöfer, I, Lennertz, L, et al. Schizotypy and smooth pursuit eye movements as potential endophenotypes of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019;269(2):235–243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rasmussen, AR, Nordgaard, J, Parnas, J. Schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology in obsessive–compulsive disorder: an empirical study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2020;270(8):993–1002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poletti, M, Raballo, A. Obsessively thinking through the schizophrenia spectrum: disentangling pseudo-obsessive schizophrenia from OCD. Schizophr Res. 2019;212:232–233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scotti-Muzzi, E, Saide, OL. Schizo-obsessive spectrum disorders: an update. CNS Spectr. 2017;22(3):258–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poletti, M, Raballo, A. Intruding thoughts: between obsessions and hallucinations. Clin Psychol Sci. 2019;7(3):407–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar