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01-09-2013 | Volition

Break in volition: a virtual reality study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Authors: Pietro Cipresso, Filippo La Paglia, Caterina La Cascia, Giuseppe Riva, Giovanni Albani, Daniele La Barbera

Published in: Experimental Brain Research | Issue 3/2013

Abstract

Research in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) produced inconsistent results in demonstrating an association between patients’ symptom severity and their cognitive impairments. The process involved in volition aspects of behavioral syndromes can be extensively analyzed using specific tests developed in virtual environments, more suitable to manipulate rules and possible breaks of the normal task execution with different, confusing or stopping instructions. The study involved thirty participants (15 OCD patients and 15 controls) during task execution and the relative interferences. At this purpose, the virtual version of Multiple Errands Test was used. Virtual reality setting, with a higher ecological validity respect to a classic neuropsychological battery, allowed us to take into account deficits of volition and the relative dysexecutive functions associated with OCD patients. The proposed paradigm also allows the development of innovative prototypes of coevolving technologies based on new theories and models and deeper understanding of human behavior.

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Title: Break in volition: a virtual reality study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Pietro Cipresso
Filippo La Paglia
Caterina La Cascia
Giuseppe Riva
Giovanni Albani
Daniele La Barbera
Publication date: 01-09-2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Experimental Brain Research / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 0014-4819
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1106
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3471-y

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Break in volition: a virtual reality study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Erratum to: Break in volition: a virtual reality study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder