The effect of cognitive rehabilitation on symptoms and pattern of brain waves in obsessive-compulsive patients

Obsessive compulsive disorder is one of the most common psychiatric diseases characterized by repetitive thoughts and actions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation on obsessive-compulsive disorder and brain wave pattern in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

This study was a quasi-experimental study. The statistical population of this study was all patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder referred to Tabriz psychiatric centers in 2019. Thirty patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were selected after available psychiatric diagnosis and were randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups. Then both groups were evaluated for F4 region alpha and theta wave as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder with Yale-Brown Obsession Questionnaire (pre-test), and then the experimental group received cognitive rehabilitation and training for 12 sessions of 60 minutes. Finally, in order to evaluate the differences, the above tests were repeated on both experimental and control groups (post-test).

The analysis of the present data showed that cognitive rehabilitation reduces the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder and also decreases the alpha and theta in F4 area with 93/84 score which is significant at P <.1 level. Post-test score did not differ from the pre-test in the control group, but the post-test score was significantly different from the pre-test.

Based on the findings of this study, cognitive rehabilitation can be used as an effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder.