Specificity of performance monitoring changes in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Tanja Endrass; Markus Ullsperger

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.024

Specificity of performance monitoring changes in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014 Oct:46 Pt 1:124-38. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.024. Epub 2014 Apr 18.

Authors

Tanja Endrass¹, Markus Ullsperger²

Affiliations

¹ Otto-von-Guericke University, Institute of Psychology II, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany. Electronic address: endrass@gmail.com.
² Otto-von-Guericke University, Institute of Psychology II, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany; Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 24747486
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.024

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by overactivity in frontal and striatal brain regions, and event-related potential studies have shown increased brain activity during performance monitoring. The error-related negativity (ERN) is a component of the event-related potential that is observed following incorrect responses, and signals the need for behavioral adjustments. ERN enhancements have even been considered as a biomarker or endophenotype of OCD. However over the past years, enhanced ERN amplitudes, although less reliably, were also found in anxiety and affective disorders. These results question the specificity of ERN alterations to OCD. The present review summarizes current findings on performance monitoring and feedback processing in OCD and their relation to behavioral measures. Further, it discusses possible differential mechanisms contributing to amplitude variations in different clinical conditions.

Keywords: Biomarker; ERN; OCD; Performance monitoring; Specificity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Anxiety Disorders / physiopathology*
Anxiety Disorders / psychology
Brain / physiopathology*
Brain Mapping*
Evoked Potentials / physiology*
Humans
Neuropsychological Tests
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / physiopathology*
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology