The Relative Impact Of Threat Estimation, Heightened Responsibility And Intolerance Of Uncertainty On Self-report And Behavioural Indices During A Sorting Task For Children With Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) And Controls
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$58,951.00
Summary
I am a provisional psychologist completing my studies at the University of Sydney. My research focus is to better understand the thinking styles that affect children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and ultimately assist the development of empirically supported treatment strategies. I intend to achieve this by conducting an experiment that aims to identify and examine key thinking patterns in the production of anxiety and compulsive behaviours in children suffering from OCD.
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.
Improving Outcomes Of Evidence-based Behaviour Therapy For Paediatric Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Translational Efficacy Trial Of D-cycloserine Augmented Intensive Behaviour Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$292,915.00
Summary
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition in childhood, and sadly, only about 50% of children are diagnosis-free following our best treatments. This study will test an innovate and safe treatment alternative, involving combining evidence-based psychological treatment with a small dose of anti-tuberculosis drug, d-Cycloserine.
Brain Stimulation Therapeutics For Mental Health Disorders: From Concept To Clinical Application
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,116,312.00
Summary
This fellowship application will support a program of research to develop and expand the use of a number of forms of non-invasive brain stimulation. These will be used to dramatically enhance the range of therapeutic options available for patients with common mental health conditions such as depression. This will include trials to advance the application of existing treatments, develop a fundamentally new home based device therapy and support a new clinical trials network.
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.
Pathophysiological Decision-making In Children With Obsessive-compulsive Disorder And Tic Disorders: Action-selection And Imaging Correlates
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$124,676.00
Summary
Why is it that a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has trouble deciding whether or not to wash their hands? We scanned the brains of teenagers with OCD while they made decisions and found that they had difficulty using cues in their environment to direct choices. This may be an early vulnerability for the development of the disorder that could guide prevention. We plan to check if that difficulty is present in younger children with OCD and their family members.
N-ACETYL CYSTEINE IN THE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT OF OBSESSIVE COMPUSLIVE DISORDER: A 16-week, Double-Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,448.00
Summary
The aim of our proposed study, is investigate the efficacy and safety of adjunctive N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an amino-acid based agent in the treatment of 200 adults with diagnosed OCD. The study proposed is a 16-week, doubled-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. If NAC is found to be effective in this study, the treatment of OCD will be strongly influenced, resulting in global impact for the potential alleviation of suffering for those with the mental disorder.
Personalised Brain Stimulation For Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$666,128.00
Summary
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects more than 230,000 Australians, 25% of whom attempt suicide. This project will use a novel method to profile people with OCD based on patterns of brain activity and symptoms, and assess if such profiling can improve the efficacy of brain stimulation interventions for OCD. Results from this study will provide evidence supporting the use of personalised brain stimulation as a viable therapy for OCD.
Cognitive Control And Brain Connectivity Disturbances In Schizophrenia And Obsessive-compulsive: Clarifying Their Nature, Specificity, And Consequences
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$498,337.00
Summary
Deficits of behavioural control are chronic and debilitating features of both schizophrenia and OCD. As behavioural control depends on activity within many key regions of the brain, these deficits may result not only from dysfunction within one or more region, but also from abnormal interactions between them. By studying how the activity in one region depends on another, and comparing findings between disorders, a better understanding of brain function in schizophrenia and OCD can be established
An inability to resist a temptation or repeated failures of self-regulation can lead to 'impulsive' and 'compulsive' behaviours that relate to a host of personal and social problems (eg., excessive eating, gambling, and substance use). Despite this, very little research has studied the neural and psychological underpinnings of these behaviours. My research will take advantage of recent innovations and approaches to fill this void and have implications for diagnosis and treatment.