Mental Attitude: Misfiring in Brain Linked to OCD. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be caused by a misfiring of the brain’s control system. Individuals with OCD have frequent upsetting thoughts that they try to control by repeating certain rituals or behaviors. The study involved scanning the brains of 37 individuals with OCD and the brains of 33 individuals who did not have the disorder as they all performed a specific activity to avoid a mild electric shock. The researchers found that OCD participants were unable to stop the specific activity, which revealed overactive brain activity in the caudate (an area of the brain that controls habits) and suggests OCD compulsions may be caused by the habit system in the brain. American Journal of Psychiatry, December 2014
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 19:15:24 +0000
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