Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40442545›Full record

ArticleCognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience2026

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms predict increased fronto-parahippocampal synchronisation during thought suppression.

Rhiannon Jones, Joost M Leunissen, Adrian Whyte, Alessa Werson, Joydeep Bhattacharya

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Article in Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Rhiannon JonesUniversity of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester, SO22 4 NR, UK. Rhiannon.Jones@Winchester.ac.uk.
Joost M LeunissenUniversity of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester, SO22 4 NR, UK.
Adrian WhyteUniversity of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester, SO22 4 NR, UK.
Alessa WersonUniversity of Southampton, Shackleton Building (44), University Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1BJ, UK.
Joydeep BhattacharyaGoldsmiths University of London, 8 Lewisham Way, London, SE14 6 NW, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThought suppression is suggested as a causal factor in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as it can lead to an increase in intrusive thoughts. However, the neural mechanisms through which obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) influence thought suppression, particularly in the context of preferential processing of negatively valenced stimuli, remains unclear. We hypothesized that OCS would predict increased inhibitory communication between frontal and parahippocampal neurocircuitry during the suppression of negative words. Additionally, we tested an exploratory analysis to see whether this was mediated by preferential processing of these stimuli.

methodsEEG was recorded from 47 participants tasked with directed forgetting of negative and neutral words. Data from 38 of these participants were analyzed. We examined the influence of OCS on fronto-parahippocampal beta-1 (13-18 Hz) synchronization during a Directed Forgetting task. An exploratory analysis of the mediating role of stimulus processing bias, measured via the late positive potential following the word stimulus, was assessed using a mediated moderation model.

resultsObsessive-compulsive symptoms predicted enhanced fronto-parahippocampal beta-1 synchronisation when instructed to forget negative words. The moderating effect of valence was mediated by preferential processing of negative stimuli, as indicated by increased late positive potential.

conclusionsHealthy individuals with relatively high OCS exhibit compensatory connectivity between frontal and parahippocampal regions when attempting to suppress negative emotional stimuli. Exploratory analysis showed this compensatory activity is influenced by both preferential processing of negative stimuli and the severity of OCS, providing preliminary evidence of a neural mechanism that may contribute to the persistence of intrusive thoughts in OCD.

Indexed as

Frontal LobeObsessive-Compulsive DisorderParahippocampal GyrusRepression, PsychologyThinkingAdultElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleYoung AdultAttentional biasCognitive inhibitionDirected forgettingFronto-parahippocampal synchronizationLate positive potentialLORETAObsessive–compulsive disorderThought-suppression

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.