Conflict monitoring and adaptation as reflected by N2 amplitude in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Open accessAbstract
Background: Feelings of doubt and perseverative behaviours are key symptoms of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and have been linked to hyperactive error and conflict signals in the brain. While enhanced neural correlates of error monitoring have been robustly shown, far less is known about conflict processing and adaptation in OCD. Method: We examined event-related potentials during conflict processing in 70 patients with OCD and 70 matched healthy comparison participants, focusing on the stimulus-locked N2 elicited in a flanker task. Conflict adaptation was evaluated by analysing sequential adjustments in N2 and behaviour, i.e. current conflict effects as a function of preceding conflict. Results: Patients with OCD showed enhanced N2 amplitudes compared with healthy controls. Further, patients showed stronger conflict adaptation effects on reaction times and N2 amplitude. Thus, the effect of previous compatibility was larger in patients than in healthy participants as indicated by greater N2 adjustments in change trials (i.e. iC, cI). As a result of stronger conflict adaptation in patients, N2 amplitudes were comparable between groups in incompatible trials following incompatible trials. Conclusions: Larger N2 amplitudes and greater conflict adaptation in OCD point to enhanced conflict monitoring leading to increased recruitment of cognitive control in patients. This was most pronounced in change trials and was associated with stronger conflict adjustment in N2 and behaviour. Thus, hyperactive conflict monitoring in OCD may be beneficial in situations that require a high amount of control to resolve conflict, but may also reflect an effortful process that is linked to distress and symptoms of OCD.
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Significantly enhanced N200 amplitudes have been reported in OCD.
“Significantly enhanced N200 amplitudes have been reported in OCD (Miyata et al., 1998; Riesel, Klawohn, Kathmann, & Endrass, 2017).”
From Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with increased engagement of frontal brain regions across multiple event-related potentials (2023) · cites this paper as Riesel, Klawohn, Kathmann, & Endrass, 2017
The current study's N200 results conflict with reports of several studies that found significantly larger N200 amplitudes in OCD groups compared to HCs.
“These results conflict with reports of several studies that found significantly larger N200 amplitudes in OCD groups when compared to HCs (Miyata et al., 1998; Riesel et al., 2017; Towey et al., 1990, 1993, 1994).”
From Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with increased engagement of frontal brain regions across multiple event-related potentials (2023) · cites this paper as Riesel et al., 2017
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Cites
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Riesel, A., Härpfer, K., Thoma, L., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2023) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.14164 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
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“Significantly enhanced N200 amplitudes have been reported in OCD [21, 22].”
BackgroundResult
- Authors
- Riesel, A., Klawohn, J., Kathmann, N., & Endrass, T.
- Affiliations
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Riesel, A.
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2017-01-18
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1379-1388
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2579571028
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 4.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin) (submittedVersion)
- Qucosa (Saxon State and University Library Dresden) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- obsessive-compulsive disorder, conflict monitoring, conflict adaptation, N2 component, flanker task, cognitive control, error monitoring, perseveration, event-related potentials, reaction time
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Conflict, Psychological, Evoked Potentials, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Executive Function
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