Dysfunctional beliefs in the process of change of cognitive treatment in obsessive compulsive checkers.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is considered to be effective in the reduction of obsessive compulsive symptoms. However, questions remain as to how CBT works. Cognitive-behavioural models postulate that negative appraisals of intrusive thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs that give rise to them underlie the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Symptom dimensions in OCD: item-level factor analysis and heritability estimates.

To reduce the phenotypic heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for genetic, clinical and translational studies, numerous factor analyses of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale checklist (YBOCS-CL) have been conducted. Results of these analyses have been inconsistent, likely as a consequence of small sample sizes and variable methodologies. Furthermore, data concerning the heritability of the factors are limited.

Processes of change in cognitive-behavioural treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Current status and some future directions.

The present paper discusses theoretical and methodological issues involved in the processes of change in cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Treatment outcome studies showed that CBT is effective in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms. However, why and how CBT works cannot be corroborated by comparing pre- and post-assessment.

The role of the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism in the phenotypic expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of obsessions and compulsions, and shows considerable phenotypic variability. Family and twin studies have indicated a genetic component in the etiology of OCD, and the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene is an important candidate gene for OCD. This study investigates the influence of the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the phenotypic expression of OCD, using an item-level factor-analytic approach in a large sample.

The role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66met variant in the phenotypic expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Evidence suggests that the Val66Met variant of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene may play a role in the etiology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In this study, the role of the BDNF Val66Met variant in the etiology and the phenotypic expression of OCD is investigated. Associations between the BDNF Val66Met variant and OCD, obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) severity scores, age of onset and family history of obsessive-compulsive symptoms were assessed.