Assessing the Effects of a Neurobehavioral Intervention on Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This experiment will examine if the use of computerized tasks that train individuals to
control their attention more effectively will predict individual differences in
obsessive-compulsive symptoms, rumination and BDNF change. After giving consent, filling out
self-report forms, and giving blood for the BDNF test, 80 participants will be randomized to
Cognitive Control Training (CCT) or Peripheral Vision Task (PVT) (described below) which
will be administered three times over a two week period. At the third visit, participants
will also complete an anagram task and repeat the blood draw for BDNF testing. The
investigators hypothesize that computerized tasks that train individuals to control their
attention more effectively will reduce Obsessive Compulsive (OC) symptoms. Additionally,
individuals training in CCT will show increased ability to disengage from unattainable goals
as assessed by responses to an unsolvable anagram task. Finally, individuals training in CCT
will show a greater increase in BDNF levels as compared to individuals training in PVT.