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’...