Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy For Obsessive-Compulsive Checkers: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$156,447.00
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder that affects up to 3% of the general population. People with the disorder experience unpleasant intrusive thoughts that they find distressing and have a strong urge to perform particular behaviours. Fears about fire and burglary are common and excessive checking of electrical appliances and locks can take many hours a day. Checkers represent one of the largest OCD sub-groups. Because of the time-consuming nature of the condition, soci ....Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder that affects up to 3% of the general population. People with the disorder experience unpleasant intrusive thoughts that they find distressing and have a strong urge to perform particular behaviours. Fears about fire and burglary are common and excessive checking of electrical appliances and locks can take many hours a day. Checkers represent one of the largest OCD sub-groups. Because of the time-consuming nature of the condition, social and occupational functioning is often severely restricted. Many sufferers will also experience extreme social isolation and depression. The World Health Organisation ranks this disorder as 20th among all causes of burden of disease. The development of effective interventions could substantially reduce the economic and social burden of this disabling anxiety disorder. The aim of this project is: (1) to compare the therapeutic efficacy of a new treatment approach (Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy) with that of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP); It is hypothesised that: (1) subjects who receive 12 sessions of DIRT will show greater post-treatment and follow-up reductions in symptomatology than subjects who receive ERP.Read moreRead less
The Role Of The Orbitofrontal Cortex In Disorders Of Response Inhibition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$515,488.00
Summary
We will investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in decision-making, particularly the effect of hyperactivity in the medial vs. ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex on decision-making. Hyperactivity in these structures has been linked to obsessive compulsive disorder and, in line with the distinct functions of the different regions of OFC, we develop and test a novel hypothesis as to the psychological and neural bases of the obsessions and compulsions distinctive to that disorder.
Unravelling The Behavioural And Brain Mechanisms Of Compulsive Disorders, And New Ways To Treat Them
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$635,076.00
Summary
Disorders of compulsion, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorder, are chronic, debilitating, and present a significant cost to the individual and to society. Together, these disorders affect more than 10% of the population. Moreover, 40-60% of these individuals are resistant to current treatment. The current project is aimed at improving the preclinical research underlying our understanding the behavioural and brain mechanisms of such disorders and how to treat them.