16 September 2026, by Anke Ellegast

We are happy to share our new study on responses to unpredictable threat! We examined individuals with specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as unaffected controls. Using the NPU-threat test, we assessed several physiological responses, including the startle reflex, skin conductance, and EEG activity.

The clearest group differences emerged for skin conductance: individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder showed stronger responses to unpredictable threat than the other groups. An exploratory analysis also identified different physiological response profiles that were associated with clinical characteristics. Overall, the findings suggest that threat processing is shaped by the interplay of multiple physiological systems and can be understood as a partly transdiagnostic process.

Carsten, H. P., Härpfer, K., Kausche, F. M., & Riesel, A. (2026). Transdiagnostic physiological correlates of unpredictable threat anticipation. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100723