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

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Psychopathological assessment and non-invasive multisensory stimulation: 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.

Study summary

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.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Yellbrown (Y-BOCS) Score — Baseline (single evaluation session)
  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

Trial sites (2)