Episode 6: What Brain Scans Can Tell Us About OCD — with Odile van den Heuvel

Does OCD change the brain, does the brain contribute to OCD—or can both be true? In Episode 6 of The OCD Research Podcast, Amsterdam-based psychiatrist and neuroscientist Odile van den Heuvel joins Christian and Andrew to make brain imaging more understandable. Odile explains why differences between research groups do not automatically translate into a diagnosis from an individual scan. She discusses how findings can vary across development and illness duration, and why researchers must distinguish possible causes from consequences of living with OCD. In this conversation: MRI, functional MRI, PET and EEG: what each approach measures. Brain structure, activity and communication between regions. Why group-level findings matter even without an individual diagnostic scan. How repeated behaviours and treatment can shape the brain. Connections between symptom patterns and brain circuits. Research pairing targeted magnetic stimulation with exposure therapy. The hosts bring questions from lived experience, including why OCD can feel less intrusive during urgent or deeply absorbing activities. Odile connects these experiences with questions about attention, flexibility and brain networks. Recorded ahead of the June 2026 Orchard OCD International Scientific Conference. Subscribe for more conversations about OCD research. #OCD #BrainImaging #OCDResearch Resources Odile van den Heuvel — Amsterdam UMC research profile: https://pure.amsterdamumc.nl/en/perso... Help support OCD research by joining the Orchard OCD Registry: https://orchardocdregistry.org/ Learn more about Orchard OCD: https://www.orchardocd.org/