Sensory over-responsivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case control studies

Background Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) refers to distress experienced in response to ordinary sights, sounds, smells, and textures. This SOR has been found to be elevated in OCD. The current systematic review and meta-analysis assessed whether participants with OCD report higher SOR than healthy controls. Method Systematic searches were conducted in PsycINFO, PubMed, and Embase. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale served as the tool for evaluating risk of bias. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using Hedges’ g to estimate pooled effect sizes. Study heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q and quantified with the I 2 statistic. To evaluate the potential influence of unpublished or missing studies, Egger’s regression was applied. Results A total of k = 6 studies ( N = 376 OCD; N = 713 controls) met inclusion criteria. Participants with OCD exhibited significantly higher SOR compared to healthy controls (Hedges’ g = 1.73; 95% CI [1.22, 2.24], Z = 6.62, p < .001; I 2 = 76.2%). An examination of the results for potential bias found no indication of missing or unpublished studies that might have influenced the findings. Risk of bias ratings showed the studies were of moderate to high quality. Discussion People with OCD show significantly higher SOR than healthy controls, suggesting that heightened sensitivity to external sensory stimuli may be relevant to OCD. Considerable heterogeneity, coupled with the small number of studies raise some uncertainty about the generalizability of the results. Clinicians might consider SOR in case formulation. Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of SOR in other clinical populations. Registration (registration number blinded for peer review)