# Neurobiology of sensory phenomena in obsessive-compulsive disorder

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $584,465

## Abstract

Project Summary
This project investigates the neurobiological mechanisms of sensory symptoms in patients with obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD) and their unaffected siblings using task-based fMRI, resting-state functional
connectivity, and diffusion MRI approaches. OCD is a chronic disorder presenting a high public health burden.
Treatment presents a particular challenge because OCD is extremely heterogeneous, with clusters of
symptoms likely derived from differing neural etiologies. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach
seeks to address this problem by investigating dimensional components of behavior that more closely align
with brain circuitry. This application focuses on the dimensional symptom of sensory phenomena (SP), which
are uncomfortable or aversive sensory experiences that drive repetitive behaviors in OCD, including “not just
right” sensations, physical urges, and sensations of disgust. SP are very prevalent, occurring in 60-80% of
OCD patients, and experienced as highly distressing. Unfortunately, SP are not well addressed by standard
treatment approaches, which may be in part because their neurobiological mechanisms are not well
understood. Our preliminary data indicated that severity of SP in OCD patients was associated with activation
of the insula, somatosensory cortex, and motor regions – areas previously associated with the detection of
body sensation and physical urges – during two different fMRI tasks. Furthermore, greater severity of SP was
related to greater resting-state functional connectivity between somatosensory regions, insula, and prefrontal
cortex. This project builds on these promising preliminary data to (1) investigate the neural mechanisms of SP
in a larger OCD cohort showing the full range of SP severity and (2) probe for familial risk markers in
unaffected siblings. For Aim 1, SP will be measured in 100 OCD patients using the Sensory Phenomena
Scale. Diffusion and fMRI data will be acquired during rest and three fMRI tasks previously validated to recruit
insula and sensorimotor regions. In order to identify familial risk markers, Aim 2 will compare sensory
phenomena and neural circuitry between OCD probands, 50 of their unaffected biological siblings, and 50
unrelated healthy controls without a family history of Axis 1 disorders. Secondary analyses will investigate the
relationship between neuroimaging measures and other dimensional symptoms relevant for OCD
(perseverative thought, harm avoidance, perfectionism) to compare with results from the primary analysis of
SP. This proposal investigates a significant and highly prevalent cluster of symptoms whose neurobiology
remains elusive. Our use of complementary neuroimaging techniques will comprehensively assess the neural
circuitry underlying SP and probe for markers of risk that could be targeted by future treatments.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9857079
- **Project number:** 5R01MH111794-04
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Emily R Stern
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $584,465
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-04-21 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9857079

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9857079, Neurobiology of sensory phenomena in obsessive-compulsive disorder (5R01MH111794-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9857079. Licensed CC0.

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