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OCD

·January 18, 2024·6 min read

OCD Linked to Higher Mortality Risks

A new study highlights a concerning link between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and an increased risk of death from both natural and unnatural causes. The study, using data from over 60,000 people with OCD, shows an 82% higher overall mortality risk compared to those without the disorder.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 29, 2023·4 min read

Reshaping the OCD Brain: How Therapy Alters Neural Connectivity

A new study reveals that exposure and response prevention (EX/RP), a primary therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), effectively reshapes brain connectivity. This therapy enhances cognitive control by strengthening connections within key neural networks. Using advanced MRI techniques, researchers observed significant changes in the frontoparietal, cingulo-opercular, and default mode networks among OCD patients who underwent EX/RP compared to those who received stress management training.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 27, 2023·6 min read

Brain Chemical Imbalance Detected in OCD

Researchers discovered a neurochemical imbalance in the brains of patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, they found a disrupted balance between neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA in two specific regions of the frontal lobes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 5, 2023·6 min read

Microglia’s Role in Controlling Anxiety and OCD

A new study reveals how microglia can regulate anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD) behaviors. Traditionally overlooked in favor of neurons, specific microglia populations were found to both stimulate and suppress these behaviors, thus acting as both a "brake" and "accelerator".

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 17, 2023·4 min read

No Magic Number for Time It Takes to Form Habits

The speed of habit formation differs according to the behavior in question and several other factors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 12, 2023·5 min read

The Brain’s Support Cells May Play a Key Role in OCD

A newly discovered cellular mechanism that involves astrocytes, as well as neurons, appears to be involved in repetitive behaviors and OCD.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 14, 2023·3 min read

Learning Behavior Differs Between OCD and Problem Gambling

When the reward is less than expected, people with OCD exhibit lower-than-normal learning rates. Conversely, those with gambling addictions exhibit boosted and blunted patterns of learning when the rewards are higher and lower than expected.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 12, 2023·5 min read

Research Points to Drug Option for Hair-Pulling and Skin-Picking Disorders

Memantine, a drug commonly prescribed to treat symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, reduces symptoms for adults with hair-pulling and skin-picking disorders.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 12, 2023·4 min read

Common Brain Network for Psychiatric Illness Discovered

Investigating four pre-existing, publically available psychological and neurological data sets, researchers identify a network of brain areas that underlie psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 20, 2022·4 min read

Exercise Addiction Is a Real Mental Health Condition, Yet Still Poorly Understood

Exercise addiction is an obsessive or compulsive desire to exercise, even when it is detrimental to health. Researchers evaluate what causes exercise addiction and focus on methods to curb the compulsion to exercise.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 4, 2022·5 min read

Trauma During Childhood Triples the Risk of Suffering a Serious Mental Disorder in Adulthood

Childhood trauma significantly increases the risk of being diagnosed with a mental health disorder later in life. For children who experienced emotional abuse, the most prevalent disorder reported was anxiety. Trauma also increased the risks for psychosis, OCD, and bipolar disorder. Significantly, those who experience trauma during childhood were 15 times more likely to be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder later in life.