Research and Publications
The clinical framework behind Cathexis is published, citable, and freely available. All publications are licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 to encourage academic adoption while protecting against unauthorized commercial use.
Somatic Ontology White Paper v2.0
DeGarbo, J. (2026). A Somatic Ontology for Computational Therapeutics: Formalizing Body-Based Experience for Digital Mental Health. Version 2.0. Cathexis Health.
The formal theoretical publication describing the Cathexis Somatic Ontology (CSO): 29 anatomical zones, 20 sensation qualities, 16 territories of human experience, seven research program foundations, trifecta visualization architecture (BRAIN · BODY · WORLD), Markov blanket organizational framework, cross-mappings to ICD-11, SNOMED CT, and HL7 FHIR, and Model Context Protocol integration.
Supplementary files included in the Zenodo record: CSO v1.1 in OWL, Turtle, and JSON-LD formats.
HEF Clinical Manual v1.0
DeGarbo, J. (2026). The Human Experience Framework: A Neuroscience-Grounded Clinical Manual for Body-Based Therapeutic Assessment and Intervention. Version 1.0. Cathexis Health.
The standalone clinical manual documenting the Human Experience Framework. Sixteen territories of human experience, each with: theoretical foundation, predictive pattern, affect system configuration, characteristic network configuration, somatic signature, DSM-5-TR correspondences, assessment pathways, intervention mechanisms, change markers, and clinical considerations. Includes the seven-theorist foundation (Chapter 1), the Cathexis Differential Engagement Assessment (CDEA) tiered assessment architecture, and orientation for clinicians from different theoretical backgrounds.
Cathexis Somatic Ontology (CSO) v1.1
Machine-readable ontology for representing body-based therapeutic experience in computational systems.
BioPortal:bioportal.bioontology.org/ontologies/CXSO
Namespace:cathexis.health/ontology/cso/v1.1/](/ontology/cso/
Formats available (on Zenodo record):
- OWL (Web Ontology Language) — class hierarchy and object properties
- Turtle — RDF serialization
- JSON-LD — linked data context for MCP agent integration
Planned research
Phase 1 (planned): Observational cohort study (n > 500). Cross-cultural stability of the 20 sensation qualities. Inter-rater reliability of the 29-zone architecture. Construct validity of territory-blanket configurations.
Phase 2 (planned): Waitlist-controlled RCT with academic partnership. Functional connectivity validation of territory-to-network mappings using resting-state fMRI.
Phase 3 (planned): Comparative effectiveness trials. Longitudinal evaluation of the six-learning-level progression model.
For research collaboration inquiries: support@cathexis.health