OCD is linked to the 'guilty' part of brain: Breakthrough could lead to new ways of treating the disorder

• Part of the brain linked to guilt is also highly active in people with OCD
• Feelings of anxiety and guilt were associated with increased activity in a brain region called the preciousness

A scientific breakthrough has offered a glimpse into the vicious circle of negative thinking suffered by people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Researchers have discovered that the part of the brain associated with feelings of guilt is also highly active in people with OCD.

The findings, published by British scientists today, could lead to new ways of treating the distressing disorder.

The new findings could lead to new ways of treating the distressing disorder, suffered by David Beckham (left) and Cameron Diaz (right).

A key characteristic of OCD is believing that negative thoughts will become a reality, leading to a spiralling build-up of anxiety and guilt.

Celebrities such as David Beckham, Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have spoken of their struggles with OCD, which is one of the least understood mental illnesses.

It is thought to affect around 12 people in every 1,000 in Britain.

The new study looked at brain wave patterns in people with varying degrees of OCD symptoms.

Scientists from Goldsmiths College in London and the University of Winchester found that feelings of anxiety and guilt were associated with increased activity in a brain region called the precuneus.

Previous research has linked the precuneus with the processing of self-attribution, responsibility, causal reasoning, and ‘moral transgression’ guilt.

Psychopaths, who lack a sense of guilt, have been shown to possess a small precuneus.

The new study looked at brain wave patterns in people with varying degrees of OCD symptoms. Justin Timberlake is another sufferer

Professor Joydeep Bhattacharya, from Goldsmiths College, said: ‘OCD sufferers experience more guilt and anxiety out of the kind of negative thoughts we might all have from time to time.

‘For example they might imagine a loved one dying in a car crash and believe that somehow it increases the chances that it will actually happen.

‘Once they have these thoughts they feel guilty and subsequently make attempts to suppress and neutralise them, but fail, so entering into a vicious circle."

Many people with the condition report they cannot stop thoughts and images intruding in the mind.

The condition is often marked by obsessive, repetitive behaviour aimed at reducing anxiety.

Some of the least disabling forms of the disorder can add an extra hour to the day’s routine, causing distress and interfering with daily life. Some people are so affected that they cannot leave their homes.

The study, published in the journal Neuroimage Clinical, found that precuneus activity was greater in individuals with more extreme OCD symptoms.

Activity increased when an individual experienced greater ‘thought-action fusion’ - the belief that a negative event will become reality.

Co-author Dr Rhiannon Jones, from the University of Winchester, said: ‘These findings could possibly prove to be a significant step towards treating OCD.

‘Our next step is to use brain stimulation methods to attempt to modify thought-action fusion. That will allow us to confirm the causal role of these neural findings, and hopefully find a way to reduce these harmful thought-cycles.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2628295/OCD-linked-guilty-brain.html