Radiosurgical Anterior Capsulotomy for OCD

One treatment for treatment-refractory OCD is a procedure called anterior capsulotomy, which modifies a part of the brain called the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC). The ALIC contains connections between some regions of the brain that are overactive in OCD. Anterior capsulotomy can be done with a minimally invasive procedure called radiosurgery, which uses a one-time targeted radiation treatment to weaken the hyperactive connections that travel through the ALIC.

Traditionally, radiosurgery was done using a machine called the Gamma Knife. Many radiation treatment centers use a different type of treatment machine, called a linear accelerator, to treat conditions in the brain that were traditionally treated on the Gamma Knife.

This study will enroll 10 patients and offer anterior capsulotomy on a linear accelerator radiosurgery system and monitor participants OCD symptom improvement after the procedure. This study will also use a special type of brain imaging technique, called task-based functional MRI, to collect information about brain activity before and after treatment.