New Methodology of Brain Computer Interface for Rehabilitation of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

This article reviews past papers about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), brain-computer interface (BCI) and experimental design guidelines, then proposes a new methodology for implementing BCI as a treatment for BCI patients and predicts possible results for this method. OCD is a neuropsychiatric disorder that leads patients to perform certain compulsions that relieve their feeling of impending doom. Other symptoms include intrusive thoughts and doubts. A new methodology was proposed in this paper because the most common treatment is currently limited to medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. It is predicted that, with the methodology proposed in this paper, OCD patients will be able to have reduced symptoms and develop an increase in awareness of performing specific actions to alleviate symptoms. There are some limitations to this new methodology, as the experiment was not performed, and thus there were no actual results to back up the proposal. This method proposal is only a theoretical approach, and more research must be done before implementing BCI as a treatment for OCD.