Individuals with
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) appear far more sensitive when it comes to
moral dilemmas. “Faced with a problem of this type, people suffering from this
type of anxiety disorder show that they worry considerably more,” said Carles
Soriano, Ph.D., researcher at Hospital de Bellvitge in Barcelona.
For the new study, scientists
looked at the neurofunctional basis of this increased moral sensitivity. Using
functional magnetic resonance imaging, they measured the brain activity of a
group of 73 patients with OCD and 73 healthy patients.
All participants had to face a
variety of moral problems in which they had to choose between two alternatives
both leading to very negative consequences. For example, they were asked to
imagine themselves in a hypothetical war. Enemy soldiers lie in wait to attack
and the entire village is hiding in a cellar. A baby starts to cry. If nobody
makes the baby stop, the enemy soldiers will find them. Would it be justifiable
to smother the baby’s cry, possibly suffocating it to save the others?
The results demonstrated that
during situations of moral dilemma, the brains of those with OCD showed a
higher degree of activation in the orbitofrontal cortex, especially in the
medial part, which is associated with decision-making and the development of
moral sentiment. “The majority [of people with OCD] are characterized by being
obsessed with dirt and compulsive cleaning or by doubting that they have
carried out important actions properly, like turning off the gas. Such behavior
makes then repeatedly check whether they have performed such actions,” said
Soriano. There are other types of obsessions and compulsions as well, such as
needing objects in the environment to be perfectly symmetrical and in
order.
There are also those that suffer
from involuntary and unwanted thoughts of a sexual or religious kind.
They may feel unsure whether they have committed a sexual act that is
unacceptable in their opinion or they worry that they have blasphemed God. “The
last group of patients is identified for precisely having a higher level of
moral hypersensitivity,” said Soriano. The research included help from experts
at Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Source: Psych Central
Please share
No comments:
Post a Comment