Brain scan can predict who responds best to certain treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Tens of millions of Americans — an estimated 1 to 2 percent of the population — will suffer at some point in their lifetimes from obsessive-compulsive disorder, a disorder characterized by recurrent, intrusive, and disturbing thoughts (obsessions), and/or stereotyped recurrent behaviors (compulsions). Left untreated, OCD can be profoundly distressing to the patient and can adversely affect their ability to succeed in school, hold a job or function in society. One of the most common and effective treatments is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which aims to help patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence their behaviors and then work toward eliminating them. But not all OCD sufferers benefit over the long term: In an estimated 20 percent of patients, symptoms eventually return after the therapy is complete. A new study by researchers at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA suggests that a certain detail from patients’ brain scans could help clinicians identify which people are more likely to relapse after cognitive-behavioral therapy — and why. “The efficiency of brain network connectivity before treatment predicts the worsening of symptoms after treatment,” said Jamie Feusner, a UCLA associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Semel Institute’s Adult OCD Program. Feusner and Joseph O’Neill, a UCLA associate professor of child psychiatry and a research scientist at the Semel Institute, were the study’s co-pri...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news