title: Further evidence for biased semantic networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): when knives are no longer associated with buttering bread but only with stabbing people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Semantic network models suggest that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) process words with multiple meanings (e.g., "knife") more likely in an OC-related (i.e., "weapon") than in a neutral way (i.e., "cutlery"). Initial evidence was found in an online study. The aim of the current study was to investigate semantic networks in a clinical OCD sample and particularly to identify whether changes in semantic networks following the add-on intervention association splitting (AS) exceeded changes expected through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  An association task was presented to 36 healthy controls and 70 OCD patients over a period of eight weeks with OCD patients receiving CBT and an add-on intervention (randomized allocation to either AS or a computerized cognitive training). Participants were asked to generate up to five associations to standardized (OC-relevant, negative, neutral) and individual cue words. Associations were rated with regard to OC-relevance and valence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses revealed that OCD participants produced a) significantly more OC-relevant associations and b) more negative associations than controls for cue words. In the OCD sample, the OC-relevance and valence of associations changed after therapy for personal cue words. This effect was associated with AS at statistical trend level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No clinical control group was recruited; no inter-rater reliability was assessed for the association task.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further evidence for biased associative networks in OCD was found. Associations of individually chosen cue words proved to be modifiable by therapy.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: l.jelinek@uke.de.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jelinek
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauschildt
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hottenrott
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kellner
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moritz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D015982:Bias; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012660:Semantics
keywords: Association splitting; Interpretation bias; OCD; Semantic network