Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repetitive
obsessions and/or compulsions that interfere with daily
functioning. Neuropsychological studies have suggested that such
perseverative behaviors may be due to underlying attentional deficits.
Inhibition of return (IOR) is an adaptive mechanism that is
thought to assist visual search by biasing attention after a critical,
short interval to novel, previously unattended areas. Therefore, this
study aimed to examine whether deficient IOR mechanisms could underlie
some of the attentional, and perhaps behavioral, problems, reported in
OCD patients. Using a computerized IOR paradigm, participants were
required to respond to a target that appeared at either the same or
different location to a precue that was presented either 100 ms or 700
ms earlier. Results indicate that patients had a reduced IOR for
targets presented in the left visual field, suggesting lateralized
anomalies in shifting attention. Results are consistent with
lateralization anomalies previously reported in OCD. (JINS,
2004, 10, 54–59.)