Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is highly effective for treating children and adolescents with OCD, with up to 70% improving from treatment. Unfortunately, there is a well-documented lack of clinicians… Read more »
Who learns from OCD exposures? Investigating pessimistic learning rates and cognitive immunization during expectancy violation
Although exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the most effective psychological treatment for OCD, only half of patients will reach symptom remission after completing it. Understanding the mechanism behind ERP… Read more »
Is tic-related OCD genetically different from OCD without tics?
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychological disorder that is related to OCD, and is characterized by sudden, repetitive movements and/or sounds called tics. Some people with OCD also experience tics,… Read more »
Utilizing community-based approaches to increase treatment access for Black Americans with OCD: Evaluating the feasibility of The Black and Living with OCd (BLOC) Project, a culturally-informed web-based multimedia program
Although both Black Americans and European Americans experience OCD at similar rates, OCD remains undertreated within the Black community. Several obstacles to treatment (i.e., ERP) have been identified such as… Read more »
Electrophysiological biomarker characterization in sensing-enabled deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder
Surgery options such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery can provide relief for patients with severe, treatment-resistant OCD. Cutting edge research has led to the development of new devices that… Read more »
The role of regulatory T cells in Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS): With an emphasis on CD39 + subset
Cumulating evidence has shown that PANS is associated with inflammation, dysregulation of immune cells, and importantly for this proposal, autoimmunity. Key inhibitors of autoimmunity are regulatory T cells (Tregs), a… Read more »
A good enough intervention: Testing brief online self-help treatment modules for clinical perfectionism
Clinical perfectionism, a common feature of OCD, leads to problems when individuals set extremely high standards for themselves and harshly criticize themselves for not meeting those standards. This can result… Read more »
Transcranial magnetic stimulation effects on urge suppression in obsessive-compulsive disorder using individualized targeting of the postcentral gyrus: A proof-of-concept investigation
OCD is usually associated with fear-based obsessions leading to compulsions, however, many individuals with OCD report uncomfortable urge sensations that drive their compulsions (e.g. overwhelming and uncomfortable feeling of contamination… Read more »
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in African American young adults: The roles of racial discrimination and racial identity
Past research has shown that people with OCD experience worsened symptoms when under stress. Some stressors are unique to distinct identities and statuses in a larger society. For African Americans… Read more »
Active avoidance of threat cues and fear extinction in obsessive compulsive disorder
Past research has shown that we can learn to be afraid of things that we encounter, and that we can also modify our fears through exposure. New research has shown… Read more »