Biomarker Detection for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-related DistresstextPuranik, TanayacreatorBorton, DavidAdvisorHarrison, MatthewReaderMcLaughlin, NicoleReaderBorton, DavidReaderBrown University. Biology and Medicine: Biomedical Engineeringsponsor20207, 56 p.born digitalThesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2020thesesObsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neurological psychiatric disorder that is characterized by impulses and intrusive thoughts, known as “obsessions”, and repetitive behavior known as “compulsions”. Neurological activity in OCD patients has been widely researched and several neuroanatomical models of OCD have been proposed. However, a physiological biomarker for the disorder has not been determined. In order to provide accurate treatment for closed-loop DBS and other treatment options, researching an accurate biomarker is vital for understanding which cortical loops and frequency bands to target for each patient. Literature presents conflicting and varying frequency band power increase and decrease, further proving the need for research into a biomarker for OCD. In this study, EEG signals were recorded during a Conveyor Belt Provocation Task that is designed to provoke an OCD participant continuously. This study proposes a continuous EEG analysis pipeline to investigate the effect of a continuous exposure stimulus that induces distress in the participant. This task was effective in provoking the participant as the object got closer and testing the effect of immediate exposure versus habituation to the object. Analysis of the EEG signals for biomarkers presented a variation between the participants, with three of the four participants having significant differences in EEG signal at a higher distress state defined by a higher self-rated distress during the task. One participant had an increase in the lower frequency band range, particularly theta and alpha bands in the prefrontal and supplementary motor cortex, and two other participants primarily had an increase in higher frequency bands in these lobes. An increase in beta and gamma was detected in the temporal lobe and somatosensory cortex as well. Overall, this study shows that the conveyor belt provocation task is effective in creating detectable changes in EEG signal from low distress to higher distress states for possible biomarker detection.Obsessive-compulsive disorderEEG biomarkerEnglishRPB2020072010.26300/a634-kh17In CopyrightCollection is open for research.