Brain circuits and decision-making in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Neurocomputational mechanisms and connectivity dynamics underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder and phenotypical differentiations

['FUNDING_R01'] · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · NIH-11266202

Researchers will use brain scans and decision-making tasks to understand why people with obsessive-compulsive disorder have rigid thoughts and behaviors.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11266202 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you join, you'll have an MRI while doing decision-making tasks and complete symptom questionnaires. Researchers will examine how brain regions, especially cortico-striatal circuits, connect and change during tasks and will apply computational models to describe decision patterns. They aim to link specific network activity and model parameters to different OCD symptom types and levels of severity. The study plans to enroll about 140 people to test a theory that overly stable brain dynamics cause the rigid thoughts and actions seen in OCD.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults diagnosed with OCD who can undergo MRI scans and complete computerized decision-making tasks, along with matched healthy volunteers, are the ideal participants.

Not a fit: People who cannot have MRI scans (for example due to metal implants, pregnancy, or severe claustrophobia), young children, or those unable to complete task procedures may not benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could help pinpoint brain-circuit signatures of OCD that improve diagnosis and guide more personalized treatments.

How similar studies have performed: Prior fMRI and computational research has implicated cortico-striatal circuits in OCD, but combining connectivity dynamics with multi-model decision analyses is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.