Harnessing Hormonal Variation to Improve OCD Therapy Outcomes
Official title: 1/2 Harnessing Hormonal Variation to Probe Neural Mechanisms and Optimize CBT Outcomes for OCD
Funded at New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC · NIH-11382765 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests whether timing exposure-based OCD therapy with menstrual-cycle–related hormonal changes can improve brain changes and treatment results for adults with OCD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $542,304 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH121597-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382765 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21+ with OCD who are undergoing or about to begin EX/RP therapy, including both women and men.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not receiving EX/RP therapy or without OCD-related fear-extinction mechanisms may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This project examines how estrogen levels during the menstrual cycle affect brain regions involved in fear and extinction in adults with OCD undergoing exposure and ritual prevention therapy. By comparing neural responses and clinical outcomes across different cycle phases and between women and men, researchers aim to see if aligning treatment with hormonal states enhances extinction memory and symptom improvement. The study will look at brain activity before and after therapy, and how changes in symptoms relate to neural changes. It also explores whether sex differences influence the effectiveness of EX/RP in OCD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to more personalized OCD therapy by timing exposure-based treatment to hormonal states to maximize benefit.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links hormonal state and extinction learning to neural changes, but this is a targeted study in OCD patients undergoing EX/RP.
Where this research is happening
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New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Simpson, Helen Blair — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Simpson, Helen Blair
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.