Dissecting Neurocognitive Components of Compulsivity Using Computational Modeling and EEG

Summary

Psychiatric disorders characterized by compulsivity, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), result in considerable functional impairment and many individuals do not respond to gold-standard treatments. Compulsivity has long been thought to occur due to exaggerated habits and reduced goal-directed control, although more recently, this conceptualization of compulsivity as an imbalance of two cognitive systems has been challenged as overly narrow. This study will recruit 100 individuals (50 adults diagnosed with OCD, 50 healthy controls) and leverage the measurement precision offered by theory-driven computational modeling in combination with electroencephalogram (EEG) to go beyond this binary theory of compulsivity, revealing how more complex interactions of neurocognitive subcomponents contribute to compulsivity-information that could ultimately lead to improved treatment personalization and clinical outcomes.

Eligibility

Age range

18–55 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Behavioral
  Exposure and Response Prevention

  Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) is the gold-standard behavioral treatment for OCD. It involves confronting the content of obsessions (distressing thoughts, images, or impulses) and resisting the urge to engage in compulsions (observable behaviors or mental acts that are repeated to reduce the anxiety/distress associated with compulsions).

Location