DIVE-OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, highly disabling condition marked by distressing obsessions and compulsive behaviors, affecting two to three per cent of the population. Symptoms often persist for decades, leading to severe functional impairment and high rates of comorbidity.
Despite its prevalence and impact, OCD remains significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated, with only about one-third of severe cases receiving specialized care.
The gold standard treatment—Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with exposure and response prevention (ERP)—requires repeated, individualized exposure to distressing stimuli. However, difficulties creating accessible and tailored exposure scenarios frequently affects treatment effectiveness.
Addressing these limitations is critical. Generative AI and virtual reality present a promising opportunity to develop personalized, immersive exposure environments, potentially overcoming barriers in traditional ERP.
Aims
This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of AI-generated immersive stimuli for ERP in OCD, addressing a key gap in current treatment delivery.
Research Team
- Dr Mariana Pinto da Costa – Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior Lecturer
- Dr Albino Oliveira-Maia - Psychiatrist and Director of the Neuropsychiatry Unit of the Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation
- Carolina Fialho – Trial Manager
- Maximin Lange – Data Scientist
- André Abreu – Clinical Psychologist, Champalimaud Foundation
- Dr Alexander Loktyushin – Machine Learning Expert, Champalimaud Foundation
- Dr Fatemeh Molaei - Senior Machine Learning Expert, Champalimaud Foundation
- Dr Jaime Grácio – Senior Psychologist and Psychotherapist, Champalimaud Foundation
- Dr Johannes Stelzer - Machine Learning Expert, Champalimaud Foundation
- Dr John Krakauer - Director of the Centre for Restorative Neurotechnology, Champalimaud Foundation
Our Partners
Principal Investigator
Senior Lecturer