Caloric Vestibular Stimulation for Modulation of Insight in Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders

Stanford University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Illness Anxiety Disorder; Body Dysmorphic Disorders

Treatments: Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03918577

45068

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates whether caloric vestibular stimulation can modulate a measure of insight in obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

Full description

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRD), including obsessive compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder, are chronic and disabling conditions characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts and associated compulsive behaviors that affect millions of individuals in the US each year. Individuals affected by OCRD differ in insight, or the degree to which they understand their intrusive thoughts to reflect illness. Impairments in insight limit individuals' motivation to engage in care and predict worse outcome in those who access treatment.

This study seeks to explore whether unilateral stimulation of the vestibular system, which activates cortical areas hypothesized to underlie clinical insight, may beneficially modulate insight in individuals with OCRD.

Enrollment: 16 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18-65
• Primary diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Illness Anxiety Disorder or Somatic Symptom Disorder (excluding "with predominant pain")
• Strongly held OCRD-related concerns meeting BABS score criterion.
• No recent change in psychopharmacological treatment, if any
• Capacity to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Psychiatric or medical conditions (eg, vertigo, history of otological surgery) that might make participation unsafe
• Pregnant or nursing women
• Active or recent substance use

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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16 participants in 2 patient groups

right cold caloric vestibular stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

OCRD participants in this arm will receive an approx 60 second infusion of distilled cold(4)c water in their right external ear canal, with before and after measures of OCRD symptom severity and insight.

Treatment:

Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation

left cold caloric vestibular stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

OCRD participants in this arm will receive an approx 60 second infusion of distilled cold(4)c water in their left external ear canal, with before and after measures of OCRD symptom severity and insight.

Treatment:

Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation