Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Insight, Trauma, and Links to Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07092826

Matteo Tonna300 enrolled

Overview

This study aims to better understand Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) by examining the types and patterns of OCD symptom presentation. The investigators seek to determine how these symptoms impact overall daily functioning. The study will also explore factors contributing to loss of insight in individuals with OCD, focusing on the potential roles of trauma, personality traits, and disorder severity. This may assist in identifying subgroups of patients who respond more favorably to treatment. Additionally, the study will investigate how individuals with OCD and schizophrenia spectrum symptoms respond to combined sensory stimuli (e.g., auditory and tactile). The goal is to determine whether these responses are associated with specific brain processing patterns, trauma history, or characteristics of compulsive behavior. Insights from this research may help clarify why certain individuals develop repetitive behaviors such as checking and rituals. Participants will be adults aged 18 to 65 diagnosed with OCD or schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Recruitment will occur through psychiatric clinics in Parma. Participation requires signed informed consent.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

300

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Spectrum Psychosis

Interventions

This intervention consists of a non-invasive, cross-sectional assessment involving standardized psychopathological interviews and multisensory stimulation tasks (auditory, tactile, and combined). It is designed to explore formal and content-related features of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, insight levels, and trauma-related correlates in patients with OCD and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. No pharmacological treatment or experimental therapy is administered as part of this study.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria (APA, 2013), as determined by a structured clinical interview (SCID-5-CV) (First et al., 2016). * Age between 18 and 65 years. * Participant agreement to take part in the study (informed consent). Exclusion Criteria: * General medical condition that may be related to the psychiatric disorder. * Alcohol or substance dependence or abuse. * Cognitive impairment (score below 25 on the Mini Mental State Examination).

Locations (2)

University of Parma

Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Università degli Studi di Parma - Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia

Parma, Italy

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Yellbrown (Y-BOCS) Score

Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity using the Yellow-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The total score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. This scale is a clinician-administered questionnaire evaluating obsessions and compulsions

Time frame: Baseline (single evaluation session)

Secondary Outcomes

Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) Total Score

Measurement of childhood trauma exposure using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), a self-report questionnaire with scores ranging from 25 to 125. Higher scores indicate greater levels of reported childhood trauma

Time frame: Baseline (single evaluation session)

Simultaneity Judgement Task (SJ) Performance

Assessment of audio-tactile simultaneity perception using paired auditory and tactile stimuli presented with varying temporal delays. Participants are asked to judge whether the stimuli occur simultaneously. The task includes multiple trials with systematically varied stimulus onset asynchronies. Performance is defined as the proportion of correct simultaneity judgments, reflecting multisensory temporal integration abilities

Time frame: Approximately 15 minutes during the pre-training session

Simultaneity Judgement Training (SJT) Performance

Evaluation of training-induced improvements in multisensory temporal integration through a task where participants receive real-time feedback on their simultaneity judgments. A staircase procedure adjusts the delay between stimuli based on participant responses. Performance is measured as improvement in simultaneity judgment accuracy and reduced temporal thresholds from pre- to post-training sessions

Time frame: Approximately 30-45 minutes during the training session