Quote · Huberman Lab
Essentials: The Science & Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Where this was said
Cannabis, CBD & OCD; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
At 30:00 · chapter starts 29:09
Huberman examines two treatments that generate significant public interest. First, cannabis: a human laboratory study by Dr. Blair Simpson found that smoked cannabis — whether THC-dominant or CBD — had little acute effect on OCD symptoms and, critically, produced smaller reductions in anxiety than placebo. This is a striking finding given widespread beliefs about cannabis as an anxiolytic. Second, transcranial magnetic stimulation: TMS coils applied non-invasively to motor and supplementary motor areas of the skull can interrupt the automatic quality of compulsive motor behaviors. Small-scale studies have shown reductions in OCD symptoms that persist after treatment ends. Huberman tempers enthusiasm by calling TMS promising rather than proven, and notes that the greatest excitement surrounds combinations of TMS with CBT or pharmacological treatment.
A rigorous human laboratory study by Dr. Helen Blair Simpson found that smoked cannabis — whether THC-dominant or CBD — had little acute effect on OCD symptoms and actually produced smaller anxiety reductions than placebo. The popular belief that cannabis helps OCD isn't supported by the data.
A human laboratory study found that smoked cannabis — whether THC-dominant or CBD — had little acute impact on OCD symptoms and produced smaller anxiety reductions than placebo.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to motor and supplementary motor areas can interrupt compulsive motor behaviors and reduce OCD symptoms beyond the active treatment session.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation targeted at motor and supplementary motor areas can interrupt the automatic quality of compulsive behaviors, with symptom reductions persisting after the sessions end. TMS isn't a magic bullet, but its combination with CBT or drug treatment is generating real excitement.
