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Articles on Obsessive-compulsive disorder

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In deep brain stimulation, electrodes – the pale white lines – are implanted into a patient’s brain and connected to a battery in a person’s chest. Jmarchn/Wikimedia Commons

Treating mental illness with electricity marries old ideas with modern tech and understanding of the brain – podcast

Deep brain stimulation and trasncranial magnetic stimulation treat mental illness by sending electrical currents into parts of the brain. Every new patient provides researchers with a wealth of information. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.
Deep brain stimulation relies on thin electrodes implanted deep in the brain that deliver electrical currents. Olemedia/E+ via Getty Images

Deep brain stimulation can be life-altering for OCD sufferers when other treatment options fall short

This rare procedure is offered by only a handful of centers in the US and around the world and should be used only when less invasive treatment options for OCD have been tried.
Some people focus their fear of death on smaller and more manageable threats. Pimthida/Flickr

Fear of death underlies most of our phobias

We manage our fear of death by creating a sense of permanence and meaning in life. But for some people, death anxiety results in pathological coping mechanisms, such as being afraid of spiders.
A child from a special care centre in Cape Town celebrating international kite day. In South Africa mental health services are not a priority. Epa/Nic Bothma

South Africa isn’t managing mental illness, particularly for the poor

While the global health community has made mental healthcare a priority, South Africa is not following suite. The impact is felt most acutely by poor people suffering from mental health disorders.
Drug-based therapies for anxiety disorders work on roughly half of those affected and treated. shutterstock

Seven new genes linked to anxiety disorders

There is hope that new drugs can be created to treat anxiety disorders after seven new genes were linked to these diseases.
Brain on the whiteboard. Brain by Shutterstock

How neuroscience can teach children about mental health

At a recent talk I gave as a Sheffield NeuroGirl, a group of three female PhD students who aim to bring interesting and exciting research on the brain to the public, I carried out a little experiment…
The Hoarders television series shone the spotlight on what is a serious psychological disorder. AAP

What does a hoarder’s brain look like? Study calls for rethink on treatment

A new study of brain activity in patients with hoarding disorder has found they exhibit abnormal activity in regions of their brain when deciding whether to keep or discard things. The study findings…

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