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Some Electrophysiological Observations in Obsessional States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

K. T. Ciesielski ,
H. R. Beech  and
P. K. Gordon
K. T. Ciesielski
Affiliation:
Department of Opthalmic Opics, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Sackville Street, Manchester 1
H. R. Beech
Affiliation:
Withington Hospital, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 8LR
P. K. Gordon
Affiliation:
Withington Hospital, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 8LR
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Summary

Averaged evoked potentials were recorded from a group of obsessional patients and matched normal controls for three types of visual stimulation: passive monitoring of a light flash, a pattern consisting of gratings and a cognitive task involving discrimination of two similar shapes. As the complexity of information processing required by the tasks increased, differences in the evoked potentials of obsessionals became more marked. The main finding was of faster latency and reduced amplitude of the component in the cognitive task. The relevance of this finding to a theory of obsessional disorder is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 138 , Issue 6 , June 1981 , pp. 479 - 484
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1981 

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