How brain circuits behind OCD handle risk and negative outcomes
Physiology and information processing of the OCD circuit
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · NIH-11266121
Researchers are learning how brain circuits involved in OCD and anxiety process risk, rewards, and unpleasant outcomes to help guide better treatments for people with OCD.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (ROCHESTER, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11266121 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project uses non-human primates to map and record activity in brain areas that guide decisions when outcomes are risky or aversive. Scientists will trace connections from an anterior cingulate area to regions such as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and insula, and will record neuronal activity while the animals perform tasks involving uncertainty and negative outcomes. The team combines anatomical tracing and in-vivo electrophysiology to see how these circuits compute value and anticipate aversive events. Findings are intended to inform circuit-based approaches to new therapies for OCD and related anxiety disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with OCD or related anxiety disorders who are interested in how basic brain research may lead to future targeted treatments are the main audience for these findings.
Not a fit: This project does not enroll patients and will not change an individual's immediate clinical care, so people seeking direct treatment now are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific brain circuit targets for therapies that reduce obsessive-compulsive and anxiety-driven behaviors.
How similar studies have performed: Related animal and human circuit studies have identified promising brain targets (for example for deep brain stimulation), but detailed circuit-level work in primates addressing aversive decision-making is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
ROCHESTER, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER — ROCHESTER, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MONOSOV, ILYA E. — UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- Study coordinator: MONOSOV, ILYA E.
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 below.