Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41048902›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in psychiatry2025

Untouched: understanding the role of touch in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Guy Flavian, Gideon Emanuel Anholt, Leehe Peled-Avron

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Guy FlavianPsychology Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Gideon Emanuel AnholtDepartment of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Leehe Peled-AvronPsychology Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

People with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) engage in a wide array of rituals, including both visible behaviors and mental activities, with some of them involving the sense of touch. However, despite the essential role of touch in physical, emotional, and social interactions, the link between touch and OCD has not been thoroughly examined. This review explores the complex and under-investigated relationship between touch and OCD across three domains: (1) sensory phenomena, including "just-right" sensations and tactile over-responsivity; (2) social and interpersonal touch, particularly in the context of avoidance, reassurance-seeking, and comorbidities such as autism spectrum traits; and (3) therapeutic applications, including tactile exposures, mindfulness-based interventions, and somatic practices. We distinguish between discriminatory and affective touch and examine how disruptions in these systems may contribute to symptom expression and maintenance. While empirical research in this area remains limited, we propose a conceptual framework to guide future studies, emphasizing clinical implications for assessment and treatment. Cultural and ethical considerations are also discussed, particularly regarding the use of touch in therapy for individuals with contamination-based OCD.

Indexed as

affective touchanhedoniaOCDpsychotherapyROCDsensory phenomenasocial

Identifiers

PMID41048902
PMCPMC12491034

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.