Cognitive Neuroscience & Behavior Therapy (CnBT)

The Cognitive Neuroscience & Behavior Therapy (CnBT) Team is a research group that is committed to improving the understanding of common psychological and biological factors that cause and maintain anxiety and related disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the aim of translating this knowledge to develop improved methods for treating these common and often debilitating disorders. To this end, we are currently focused on exploring techniques to augment brain and behavioral plasticity to promote recovery through the body’s intrinsic learning systems. We employ a range of experimental psychopathology, affective science, and cognitive neuroscience techniques to advance or work. Our group is currently focused on investigating the effects of somatic interventions (i.e., non-invasive brain stimulation) on peripheral measures of brain plasticity (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] and MRI-based functional connectivity) and the mechanisms of behavioral treatments for disordered anxiety (e.g., fear extinction and exposure-based therapeutic learning). This work is currently supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF), and the VA National Centers for PTSD.  

Learn more about our work at: https://cnbt.as.uky.edu/