Understanding how the brain processes decisions in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Researchers are trying to understand how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects the way your brain makes decisions and learns. This study will compare brain activity and decision-making patterns between adults with OCD and healthy adults without OCD, using brain imaging and computerized thinking tasks. By learning more about how OCD changes the brain, scientists hope to develop better treatments.

Current treatments for OCD don't work for about half of the people who try them. Researchers believe that understanding the specific brain circuits involved in OCD—especially a region called the orbitofrontal cortex—could lead to more effective treatments and better outcomes for patients.