Many people with OCD find that they struggle to switch back and forth between different tasks, especially when it comes to the compulsions that are a part of this disorder. The goal of Project FLEX is to better understand how the brain works to allow people with OCD to flexibly change or shift their actions. Project FLEX uses two types of technology to study how the brain functions when switching between tasks. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that uses a strong magnetic field to target an area of the brain we believe may be involved in behavioral flexibility in OCD. fMRI, or functional magnetic resonance imaging, allows us to take pictures of the brain while a person is completing a task or while resting. Using fMRI and TMS, we hope to learn more about the brain networks involved in flexible behavior in OCD.
For more information or to discuss your eligibility, call (401) 455-6610, or fill out the form below for a staff member to contact you by phone. Please do not include any other information. We will contact you soon.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if:
Eligible participants will be compensated up to $275 for completing all study visits.
What will happen during Project FLEX?
Eligible participants will come in for four (4) visits in total:
Why is this being done?
This study will help us to learn more about how the brain functions in OCD, particularly when a person is trying to switch back-and-forth between different tasks. A great deal of work has been done over the past several decades to better understand how the brain functions in OCD. While scientists have learned a lot in this time, there is still more to learn. By gaining a better understanding of how the brain works in OCD, we (and other researchers) hope to be able to develop new treatment options for OCD in the future.