Summary: By recording directly from electrodes implanted in the human orbitofrontal cortex, neuroscientists discovered two neighboring circuits locked in a millisecond-by-millisecond “tug-of-war” between taking a risk and playing it safe.…
Category: OCD
Serotonin Proven to Reduce Cognitive Belief Stickiness in OCD
Summary: A new study has redefined the biological understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by discovering that serotonin directly reduces “belief stickiness”, the cognitive failure to abandon old ideas despite contradicting…
OCD Brains Work Harder to Stay on Track
Summary: Getting dressed in the morning seems like a simple sequence, but for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the brain may be working overtime just to keep from “getting stuck.”…
Brain Circuit That Forces Behavior Into “Repeat Mode” Identified
Summary: A new study has identified a specific brain circuit that can push behavior into a compulsive “repeat mode,” forcing mice to continue digging and sniffing even when rewards are…
Why OCD, Tics, and ADHD Keep You Up at Night
Summary: People with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs), chronic tic disorders (CTDs), and ADHD often suffer from significant sleep disturbances, and a new review suggests that disruptions in the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC)…
Microglia’s Role in Controlling Anxiety and OCD
Summary: A new study reveals how microglia can regulate anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD) behaviors. Traditionally overlooked in favor of neurons, specific microglia populations were found to both stimulate…
