Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Augmented Exposure and Response Prevention for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder



Status:Completed
Conditions:Psychiatric
Therapuetic Areas:Psychiatry / Psychology
Healthy:No
Age Range:18 - 65
Updated:5/17/2018
Start Date:January 2015

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tDCS for Inhibitory Control Deficits: A Test in OCD

This study is investigating whether combining noninvasive brain stimulation with behavior
therapy can help to improve outcomes for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Exposure and
response prevention (ERP) -- a specific type of behavior therapy -- is a first line treatment
for OCD. This study will test whether a form of noninvasive brain stimulation called
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), can help ERP work better.


Inclusion Criteria:

- Current primary OCD diagnosis and current Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale
(Y-BOCS) total score of ≥16

- 18-65 years of age

- Ability to speak, read, write, and understand English sufficiently well to complete
study procedures and provide informed consent

- Right-handed

- No use of psychiatric medications or stable psychiatric medication use for a minimum
of 6 week prior to study entry. Psychiatric medications will be limited to the
following: serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI; including clomipramine), combination
antidepressants (including bupropion and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake
inhibitors), buspirone, benzodiazepines, and/or stimulants

- Naive to tDCS

Exclusion Criteria:

- Active substance use disorder

- Lifetime diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar mood disorder

- Previous minimally adequate trial of ERP (e.g., at least 16 sessions including both
therapist and self-directed exposure and response prevention)

- Therapy outside the study protocol which has evidence for efficacy with OCD during the
study intervention period

- Active suicidal or homicidal ideation

- Organic brain disease or injury

- Any health problems that would interfere with study participation, including
contraindications to tDCS (e.g., skin condition, mental implant in skull)

- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. All women participants of child-bearing age
are required to have a negative pregnancy test prior to treatment, and must use
medically acceptable birth control during study participation. Medically acceptable
birth control includes: established oral, injected, implanted, or vaginal ring
hormonal contraception, an intrauterine device (IUD), two barrier contraception
methods (condom or occlusive cap with spermicidal foam/gel/film/cream/suppository), or
having a vasectomized partner

- Use of anticonvulsant medications (including depakote, gabapentin, tegretol, dilantin,
lamictal) and/or glutamate-acting agents (including n-acetylcysteine, riluzole,
amantadine, memantine).
We found this trial at
1
site
345 Blackstone Blvd
Providence, Rhode Island 02906
(401) 455-6200
Phone: 401-455-6659
Butler Hospital Founded in 1844, Butler Hospital is the state's only non-profit, free-standing psychiatric hospital...
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mi
from
Providence, RI
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