1. Reuven, O., Liberman, N., & Dar, R. (2014).

The Effect of Physical Cleaning on Threatened Morality in Individuals With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Clinical Psychological Science, 2(2), 224-229.https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702613485565

Summary: In the current study, the correlation between compulsive cleaning and moral distress in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been examined. Physical cleaning has been shown to decrease feelings of guilt and distress in the short term, reinforcing the compulsive cleaning behavior. OCD patients are more likely to engage in cleaning rituals when experiencing moral conflicts, supporting the psychological link between cleanliness and morality.

Evaluation: This study is highly relevant because it informs us about the psychological mechanisms behind cleanliness-related OCD. Having been published in a peer-reviewed psychology journal, the study has strong empirical data on the role played by compulsions as coping mechanisms.

Relevance: This research elucidates why individuals with OCD engage in repetitive cleaning rituals, as it supports the argument that obsessions and compulsions are based on emotional regulation and cognitive processing.

2. Stephenson, C., Malakouti, N., Nashed, J. Y., Salomons, T., Cook, D. J., Milev, R., & Alavi, N. (2021).

Using Electronically Delivered Therapy and Brain Imaging to Understand Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Pathophysiology: Protocol for a Pilot Study. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(9), e30726.https://doi.org/10.2196/30726

Summary: This study investigates the effectiveness of electronically delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (e-CBT) in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, with functional MRI (fMRI) scans assessing brain activity before and after the therapy. Findings indicate that e-CBT decreases symptoms of OCD, such as cleanliness-related compulsions, and alters brain activity in the principal brain sites involved with obsessional thinking.

Evaluation: This research is highly reliable, having been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal and using advanced neuroimaging techniques to analyze the outcomes of the therapy. The sample size is small, but the findings are consistent with other research on CBT as the sole treatment for OCD.

Relevance: This source supports CBT as an effective intervention for the treatment of OCD compulsions through the documentation of neurobiological change following therapy.

3. Behind the Scenes: Unveiling the Misportrayal of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Film and Television (2024).

International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(5).https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i05.29274

Summary: This article criticises the misrepresentation of OCD in the media, the stereotyping of compulsive cleanliness as the primary symptom in particular. The research identifies the ways in which the representations perpetuate stigma, reinforcing the myth that the complexity of OCD extends only as far as bodily compulsions.

Significance: This study is important because it addresses the social consequence of OCD misrepresentation. Peer-reviewed in a multidisciplinary journal, it gives a cultural perspective on the disorder, complementing clinical and neurological results.

Relevance: This source demonstrates the effect that media stereotypes have on public opinion, supporting the need for more awareness about OCD beyond the cleanliness compulsions that the media portrays.

4. de Joode, N., van den Heuvel, O., Koster, M., Clarke, W., van Balkom, A., Schrantee, A., & Vriend, C. (2023).

The Effect of OCD-Symptom Provocation on Neurometabolites in the Lateral Occipital Cortex and Their Relation to the BOLD Response, a Combined fMRS and fMRI Paradigm. Biological Psychiatry, 93(9), S242-S243.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.608

Summary: This study investigates the brain neurometabolic alterations when OCD symptoms are triggered. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (fMRS) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), researchers detected significant neurochemical differences in the lateral occipital cortex in patients with OCD compared to control populations. The findings show that OCD compulsions are linked with abnormal neurochemical activity.

Evaluation: This research is highly valuable as it gives direct neuroscientific evidence for brain chemistry changes when symptoms of OCD are triggered. In a top psychiatric journal, it gives the newest information on the biological mechanisms involved with OCD. Relevance: This source supports the stance that OCD compulsions, as in the case of excessive cleaning, are neurobiologically rooted, lending justification for brain-based treatments.