Memory uncertainty in OCD patients

Available literature has not been able to explain the repetitive nature of
checking in OCD checkers. It may be the case that OCD checkers have low
confidence in their memories, causing them check again and again. It has
recently been demonstrated in healthy subjects that the opposite is also true,
namely that repetitive checking leads to increased memory uncertainty. The aim
of the current study is to investigate whether this effect can also be observed
in actual OCD checkers. It might be the case that OCD patients in general place
higher demands on their memories in terms of vividness and detailedness. Two
other groups will be included for comparison, namely other anxiety disordered
patients and healthy subjects. Hypotheses are that OCD patients have lower
beginning scores on memory certainty, vividness and detail. It may also be
hypothesized that OCD patients are relatively more vulnerable to the
undermining effects of repetitive checking on these aspects.

The main objective of the study is to determine whether, and if so, to what
extent, there are differences in memory vividness, detail and certainty between
OCD patients, another anxiety disorder patients and healthy subjects in a
repetitive checking task.

The study is a 3 x 2 x 2 mixed randomized intervention study.

The intervention consists of either twenty relevant checking trials (where
subjects are exposed to the effects of repetitive checking) or twenty
irrelevant checking trials (where subjects do not engage in repetitive
checking).

The study consists of filling out two questionnaires and the partaking in one
computer task. The total duration of the study is less than an hour.
Participants will be visited in their treatment clinic. The checking task has
been made abstract so that it does not resemble real-life checking situations.
Benefits of the study are that it can provide new insight into the mechanism
behind repetitive checking and perhaps contribute to a better and more
effective treatment. There are no known risks to offset these benefits: the
experiment is short, not at all invasive, and without negative consequences or
risks. The experiment has already been carried out several times with healthy
participants. This was an important first step in determining whether
repetitive checking can undermine memory trustworthiness. However, it is now
important to determine whether the same trend can be found in actual patient
populations.