Award
NIH Reporter #5R01MH121608-05
2/2 Harnessing Hormonal Variation to Probe Neural Mechanisms and Optimize CBT Outcomes for OCD
Recipient
University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, New York University
Award Amount
$685,169.00
Ceiling
$685,169.00
Awarded
June 27, 2025
Identifier
5R01MH121608-05
This research grant funds a study investigating how hormonal variation affects neural mechanisms and treatment outcomes in OCD, aiming to optimize cognitive behavioral therapy by timing treatment with menstrual cycle phases.
Description
Cognitive behavioral therapy involving exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP) is a first-line treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This study examines whether delivering EX/RP to women during high estrogen states improves extinction memory retention via enhanced engagement of the fear extinction brain network, resulting in better clinical outcomes. It also explores sex differences in extinction processes. The study involves fMRI scans before and after 8 sessions of manualized EX/RP, with women randomly assigned to treatment during different menstrual phases. Conducted at University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and New York University with 120 adults with OCD (80 women, 40 men).