Open AccessEffect of Experimental Manipulation of the Orbitofrontal Cortex on Short-Term Markers of Compulsive Behavior: A Theta Burst Stimulation Study
Author(s) -
Rebecca B. Price,
Claire M. Gillan,
Colleen A. Hanlon,
Fabio Ferrarelli,
Tae Il Kim,
Helmet T. Karim,
Marlee Renard,
Rachel Kaskie,
Michelle Degutis,
Anna Wears,
Emelina Vienneau,
Angel V. Peterchev,
Vanessa M. Brown,
Greg J. Siegle,
Meredith L. Wallace,
Susanne E. Ahmari
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the american journal of psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.477
H-Index - 353
eISSN - 1535-7228
pISSN - 0002-953X
DOI - 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20060821
Subject(s) - ctbs , psychology , orbitofrontal cortex , stimulation , neuroscience , brain stimulation , transcranial magnetic stimulation , audiology , developmental psychology , primary motor cortex , prefrontal cortex , cognition , medicine
Compulsive behaviors are a core feature of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders but appear across a broad spectrum of psychological conditions. It is thought that compulsions reflect a failure to override habitual behaviors "stamped in" through repeated practice and short-term distress reduction. Animal models suggest a possible causal role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in compulsive behaviors, but human studies have largely been limited by correlational designs. The goal of this study was to establish the first experimental evidence in humans for a mechanistic model in order to inform further experimental work and the eventual development of novel mechanistic treatments involving synergistic biological-behavioral pairings.