Get to know OCD16 Huhti 2025

The Science of OCD

Uma Chatterjee is a neuroscientist who studies the brain circuitry behind OCD — and she’s also someone who lived with the disorder at its most severe. In this talk, she breaks down the actual biology behind intrusive thoughts and compulsions, from overactive brain regions like the orbitofrontal cortex to the role of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and GABA. She explains how genetics and stress can prime the brain for OCD, why certain thoughts feel so “sticky,” and what’s really happening when the brain misfires and flags harmless ideas as dangerous.

But this isn’t just science for science’s sake — it’s about hope. Uma shares how Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) can actually retrain the brain’s alarm system through neuroplasticity, helping people tolerate anxiety without relying on compulsions. For the most up-to-date science on OCD and its treatment, this video is must watch.

To learn more about science-backed OCD treatment and to find an OCD-specialized therapist, visit us at NOCD: https://learn.nocd.com/podcast

Watch Uma's interview on the Get to know OCD podcast: https://youtu.be/1NaxMoYhXZ4
You can follow Uma’s latest research here: ⁠https://umarchatterjee.com/research/⁠
She also hosts her own podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee

Follow us on social media:

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