TY - JOUR TI - Characterizing a psychiatric symptom dimension related to deficits in goal-directed control AU - Gillan, Claire M AU - Kosinski, Michal AU - Whelan, Robert AU - Phelps, Elizabeth A AU - Daw, Nathaniel D A2 - Frank, Michael J VL - 5 PY - 2016 DA - 2016/03/01 SP - e11305 C1 - eLife 2016;5:e11305 DO - 10.7554/eLife.11305 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11305 AB - Prominent theories suggest that compulsive behaviors, characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction, are driven by shared deficits in goal-directed control, which confers vulnerability for developing rigid habits. However, recent studies have shown that deficient goal-directed control accompanies several disorders, including those without an obvious compulsive element. Reasoning that this lack of clinical specificity might reflect broader issues with psychiatric diagnostic categories, we investigated whether a dimensional approach would better delineate the clinical manifestations of goal-directed deficits. Using large-scale online assessment of psychiatric symptoms and neurocognitive performance in two independent general-population samples, we found that deficits in goal-directed control were most strongly associated with a symptom dimension comprising compulsive behavior and intrusive thought. This association was highly specific when compared to other non-compulsive aspects of psychopathology. These data showcase a powerful new methodology and highlight the potential of a dimensional, biologically-grounded approach to psychiatry research. KW - psychiatry KW - habit KW - goal-directed KW - compulsive KW - computational KW - dimensional JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -