Thomas G Adams, PhD
Assistant Professor Adjunct, PsychiatryCards
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor Adjunct, Psychiatry
Biography
I received my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Arkansas following my completion of a pre-doctoral internship within the traumatic stress track at the Charleston Consortium at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. I am currently completing a NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship (5 T32 MH062994 13) at the OCD Research Clinic.
I am interested in improving the understanding, efficacy, and efficiency of treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related psychopathology. To this end, I am developing two parallel arms of research that will: 1) assay psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of change underlying cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for OCD and related psychopathology, and; 2) integrate somatic and cognitive-behavioral intervention strategies to target said mechanisms and improve treatment efficacy. My earlier research was aimed at identifying cognitive and affective mechanisms that maintain obsessive-compulsive and related psychopathology. More specifically, the ways that the emotion of disgust can interact with attentional and inhibitory processes to output dysfunctional appraisals, pathological avoidance, and compulsive behaviors that are relevant to OCD. More recently, I have begun integrating somatic and behavioral interventions to augment several of the aforementioned mechanisms and improve treatment efficacy. For example, we are currently testing the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on extinction learning and exposure-based therapies for OCD.
Education & Training
- PhD
- University of Arkansas (2014)
Research
Publications
2024
Exercise and Fear and Safety Learning
Azar A, Hubert T, Adams T, Cisler J, Crombie K. Exercise and Fear and Safety Learning. Current Topics In Behavioral Neurosciences 2024, 1-16. PMID: 39039358, DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_494.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsExtinction learningRecall of extinction memoryFear conditioning paradigmExposure therapy sessionsExposure-based therapyFear extinction learningEffects of exerciseFear acquisitionExtinction memoryFear conditioningConditioning paradigmFear outcomesExtinction outcomesTherapy sessionsImprove treatment outcomesTreatment outcomesAnxietyBody of evidenceDisordersClinical scienceFearLearning processLearningPotential mechanismsExtinction
2023
Assessment of Comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Fenlon E, Pinciotti C, Jones A, Rippey C, Wild H, Hubert T, Tipsword J, Badour C, Adams T. Assessment of Comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Assessment 2023, 31: 126-144. PMID: 37904505, DOI: 10.1177/10731911231208403.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderObsessive-compulsive disorderComorbid obsessive-compulsive disorderStress disorderSignificant trauma historiesCo-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorderSignificant obsessive-compulsive symptomsObsessive-compulsive symptomsPosttraumatic symptomsClinician-administered assessmentTrauma historyAssessment recommendationsDisordersFuture directionsCurrent paperSymptomsInstructionIndividualsAssessmentAerobic Exercise as a Potential Non-Pharmacological Manipulation to Enhance Consolidation of Fear Extinction Learning in PTSD: Preliminary Findings and Potential Role of AEA
Crombie K, Hillard C, Koltyn K, Adams T, Cisler J. Aerobic Exercise as a Potential Non-Pharmacological Manipulation to Enhance Consolidation of Fear Extinction Learning in PTSD: Preliminary Findings and Potential Role of AEA. Biological Psychiatry 2023, 93: s13-s14. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.053.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Biomarkers of Clinical Subtype and Treatment Response in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
HIC ID0803003626RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date04/19/2025Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18 years - 70 years