Cognitive Bias Modification for OCD

Mass General Brigham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Obsessive-compulsive Disorders and Symptoms

Treatments: Behavioral: Inactive sham approach avoidance training; Behavioral: Psychoeducation; Behavioral: Cognitive bias modification for interpretation bias; Behavioral: Approach avoidance training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03799419

2017P002864

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will conduct the development and preliminary evaluation of Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) and Approach Avoidance Training (AAT) as augmentations to treatment as usual for OCD and related disorders. CBM-I refers to computerized interventions designed to directly manipulate interpretation bias through repeated practice on a training task, thereby inducing cognitive changes in a relatively automatic or implicit manner. In AAT, automatic approach tendencies toward feared stimuli are re-trained. Specifically, this study will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical outcomes associated with CBM-I and AAT.

Adults with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders will be recruited from a treatment program for these disorders and participants will be randomly assigned to either receive: 1) eight sessions of CBM-I or eight sessions of psychoeducation as a control condition, or 2) AAT or eight sessions of an inactive (sham) version of the AAT training.

Enrollment: 64 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Currently receiving treatment at the McLean Hospital OCD Institute
• For CBM-I condition only: report a score of at least 131 on the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 upon admission to the OCD Institute
• For AAT condition only: endorse score of at least 7 on the DOCS subscale #1 (contamination subscale) upon admission to the OCD Institute
• Able to complete a computer task for 20 minutes
• Consent to main OCD Institute study protocol

Exclusion criteria

• Currently undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Current symptoms of acute mania or psychosis
• A reported diagnosis at admission of a psychotic disorder
• History of traumatic brain injury

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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64 participants in 4 patient groups

Cognitive bias modification with treatment as usual

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive usual treatment in the program and 8 sessions of a computerized cognitive training targeting interpretation bias

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cognitive bias modification for interpretation bias

Psychoeducation with treatment as usual

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive usual treatment in the program and 8 sessions of psychoeducation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Psychoeducation

Approach avoidance training with treatment as usual

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive usual treatment in the program and 8 sessions of a computerized cognitive training targeting automatic approach tendencies

Treatment:

Behavioral: Approach avoidance training

Inactive sham approach avoidance training

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive usual treatment in the program and 8 sessions of a sham approach avoidance training

Treatment:

Behavioral: Inactive sham approach avoidance training