Neurobiological Markers of Treatment Response for Anxiety and OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders are common and debilitating conditions which are often chronic when treatment is not provided. International guidelines recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as the first-line treatment, and research has shown that CBT can be delivered over a concentrated period of time. The Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT) is an exposure-based treatment which is delivered over four consecutive days. B4DT has been shown to induce rapid and long-lasting remission in around 70% of patients. This provides a platform for studying psychological and neurobiological changes associated with treatment response and non-response. The present study will investigate longitudinal changes in psychological measures and DNA methylation in patients who receive the B4DT, as well as a subset will also undergo multimodal brain imaging.

Inclusion Criteria:Diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder or social anxiety disorder using DSM-5 criteriaReferred to National Clinic for 4-Day Treatment, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayConsented to participate in the "Kvalitetsregister for konsentrerte behandlingsformat"Exclusion Criteria:Suicidal, ongoing mania, primary eating disorder, intellectual disability, ongoing psychosis, ongoing substance abuseFor MRI substudy:Inclusion Criteria:- For the healthy controls, no previous or current psychiatric disorders as detected by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)Exclusion Criteria:- MRI incompatibility (e.g. pregnancy, metal implants)