Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder
NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health
About This Grant
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe psychiatric illness affecting 1–3% of the population, causing debilitating distress and impairing everyday functioning. Up to 20% of individuals with OCD remain severely symptomatic despite standard treatments, making deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) a promising neurosurgical option. However, DBS therapy for OCD remains challenging due to the absence of objective, reliable neural biomarkers of symptom severity, leading to prolonged trial-and-error programming, unpredictable clinical outcomes, and limited access for eligible patients. Early intracranial electrophysiology studies have shown that neural activity in the VC/VS is closely linked to OCD pathophysiology, with low-frequency VC/VS oscillations reflecting processes such as symptom intrusions, error monitoring, and reward processing. These discoveries have advanced our understanding of OCD neurophysiology. Recent advances in sensing-enabled DBS technology now offer a unique opportunity to chronically record neural oscillations (local field potentials, LFPs) directly from DBS electrodes in freely moving patients, enabling longitudinal, real-world tracking of neural activity. Yet critical questions remain regarding the robustness, ecological validity, and clinical utility of VC/VS oscillations as biomarkers of OCD symptom states. This project aims to rigorously establish VC/VS alpha oscillations as an objective biomarker for OCD symptom states and translate this knowledge into clinical practice. First, I will determine whether chronic fluctuations in VC/VS alpha oscillations systematically track real-world transitions between symptomatic and non-symptomatic states by combining at-home DBS recordings with wearable sensor-based behavioral tracking and ecological momentary assessments. Next, I will leverage intraoperative neural recordings—uniquely available during DBS implantation surgeries—to map acute electrophysiological responses in the VC/VS and related frontal circuits during personalized symptom-provocation tasks, providing functional guidance for surgical lead placement. Finally, I will operationalize VC/VS alpha oscillations as a practical biomarker during outpatient DBS programming, using immersive virtual reality-based OCD symptom challenges combined with real-time neural and physiological measurements to identify optimal stimulation parameters. In addition, this award will allow me to complete a multifaceted career development plan. Since my background is primarily in engineering and my clinical exposure to OCD patients is limited, I will acquire fundamental clinical knowledge of OCD symptom dimensions and standard inpatient and outpatient treatments, facilitating the integration of clinical and research efforts. My training will be guided by leading experts at MGH, one of the world’s leading institutions in the clinical and research work with this patient population. I will further attend seminars and conferences, to develop not only a researcher, but also as an independent leader and science communicator. Together, this will provide me with the necessary set of skills for my transition to independence.
Grant Summary
Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder is a NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health grant providing up to $129K for university, nonprofit, healthcare org. Applications are due 2028-04-30 (open). Check eligibility and apply with FindGrants.
Focus Areas
Eligibility
How to Apply
Up to $129K
2028-04-30
- 1Confirm your organization is eligible for Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder from NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health, checking organization type, location, and any population or project requirements.
- 2Gather the required documents and information, including your organization details, project plan, and budget figures.
- 3Draft your application narrative and budget addressing the funder's priorities and review criteria. FindGrants can draft each section for you to review and edit.
- 4Review every section against the requirements checklist, then export a submission-ready application pack and submit it to NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health before the deadline.
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Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder is offered by NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health and is generally open to university, nonprofit, healthcare org. It is open to organizations nationwide unless the funder specifies otherwise. Review the specific eligibility terms before applying, since funders set their own requirements around organization type, location, and the population or project being served.
How much funding does the Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder provide?
Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder provides up to $129K per award from NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health. Actual award sizes depend on the scope of your project, available program funds, and the number of applicants, so build a budget that reflects realistic, allowable costs rather than the maximum figure.
When is the Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder deadline?
Applications for Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder are due 2028-04-30 (open). Because deadlines can change, verify the date with the funder, NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health, and give yourself enough time to prepare a complete, competitive application before the close date.
How do you apply for the Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder?
To apply for Electrophysiological biomarkers to guide deep brain stimulation treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder, confirm your eligibility, gather the required documents, and prepare a narrative and budget that address the funder's priorities. FindGrants guides you step by step and can draft each section, then exports a submission-ready application pack for this grant from NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health.