BAU and University of Cambridge Joint Symposium Held

The symposium on "Compulsive Behavior and Impulsivity in OCD and ADHD: New Approaches and Implications for Treatment,"jointly organized by the Bahçeşehir University Department of Psychology and the University of Cambridge, was held at Bahçeşehir University's Beşiktaş Campus.Held on 16 June 2012, the symposium attracted great interest from psychiatrists, neurologists and clinical psychologists.

In her opening speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yeşim Korkut emphasized the importance of the cooperation between the University of Cambridge and the Bahçeşehir University Department of Psychology, and pointed to the importance, for clinical psychology and psychoanalysis, of knowledge that helps us better understand the relationship between brain and mental processes in light of contemporary imaging techniques from neuroscience. Describing the opportunities offered by the emerging field of neuropsychoanalysis, Korkut showed how new findings on OCD spectrum disorders have confirmed some of the ideas on obsessional neurosis that Freud, who himself began his career as a neurologist a century ago, based entirely on clinical observation.

Professor Naomi Fineberg began her talk by summarizing the current state of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and OCD spectrum disorders, which include OCD-related conditions, and by providing information on the new clinical classifications envisaged in DSM-5, the classification manual of psychiatric disorders. In light of the studies conducted with her team at the University of Cambridge, she explained the importance of the concept of neuropsychological endophenotypes in understanding behavioral problems and how the brain-behavior relationship in OCD is investigated through methods such as cognitive tests and imaging. Presenting findings from recent brain connectivity analysis studies showing that similar brain systems are affected in OCD spectrum disorders and substance addiction, Prof. Fineberg stated that research on the common pathophysiology of impulsivity and compulsivity will make an important contribution to the treatment of these heterogeneous disorders with diverse manifestations.

Dr. Sharon Morein Zamirsummarized the neurocognitive domains affected in OCD and explained, through the example of response inhibition, how neuropsychological assessment and brain imaging studies of brain function are modeled. Drawing on the findings of recent research at the University of Cambridge, she presented how neuropsychological functions in OCD vary with factors such as emotion and motivation, and how comorbid depression, common in this patient group, affects brain function. In the final part of her talk, she discussed how impulsivity is assessed neuropsychologically in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and the brain systems overlapping with compulsivity, together with findings from new brain imaging studies.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metehan Irak, after introducing metacognition, explained how this concept is studied in psychopathology and in experimental research models. He explained the role of metacognition in changing behavior by affecting attention and memory mechanisms in OCD, and provided information on the interaction of metacognition with brain mechanisms in OCD using data from research conducted at the Bahçeşehir University Brain and Cognition Research Center. He discussed, with data from imaging studies, how metacognition-based therapies and other treatment methods change brain systems and the relationship between the "feeling of knowing" and brain mechanisms.

Dr. Ulrich Müller began his talk by emphasizing the clinical features of adult ADHD and the importance of a multifaceted diagnostic assessment. Explaining the relationship of ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, with other psychopathological conditions in childhood and adulthood, Dr. Müller described the importance of impulsivity in the course of ADHD together with data from brain imaging studies. He explained the effects of medication on the course of ADHD and its preventive effects on comorbidities such as substance addiction and depression, and presented data on changes observed in brain chemistry in other impulsivity-related disorders. Finally, he concluded his talk by presenting a framework on the debates surrounding the non-clinical use of stimulant medications and on psychotherapy methods.

Following the presentations, a general discussion was held with all speakers, moderated by Dr. Muzaffer Kaşer. Enriched by participants' questions and contributions, the symposium ended with wishes for similar events to be repeated and for the cooperation with the University of Cambridge to continue.