Developing Effective Response Inhibition Training for Symptom Relief in OCD and Trichotillomania

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Trichotillomania

Treatments: Behavioral: Response inhibition training; Behavioral: Placebo Control Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT02059980

R21-RIT_OC-LEE

R21MH094537 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and its related disorders (e.g., trichotillomania) are characterized by the marked difficulty in inhibiting unwanted or inappropriate responses. There is compelling evidence that poor response inhibition is a core cognitive feature of OCD and its related disorders, but no effective intervention exists that directly attempts to address this problematic cognitive deficiency. This study will examine the feasibility and clinical utility of a computerized cognitive training program designed to improve response inhibition among individuals diagnosed with OCD or trichotillomania.This training program offers systematic practice of response inhibition in the form of a 40-level computer game. Individuals with these conditions will be randomized to either 8 sessions of (a) computerized response inhibition training (RIT) or (b) placebo computer training (PLT). We hypothesize that RIT will outperform PLT in improving response inhibition capabilities and reducing relevant clinical symptoms. In sum, this project is expected to generate important knowledge to guide the development of effective computer-based treatment approaches that may help reduce critical problems of existing treatments such as suboptimal patient retention and treatment under-utilization, thereby improving overall treatment response rates among individuals suffering from OCD and related conditions.

Enrollment: 45 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Principal diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder or trichotillomania

Exclusion criteria

• Current substance use problems
• Current/Past Psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia
• Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or tic disorder
• Severe depressive symptoms
• Current psychotherapy
• Current suicidality
• Estimated intellectual functioning < 80
• Lack of response inhibition deficits on a stop-signal task

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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45 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Response inhibition training

Experimental group

Description:

Eight 45-minute sessions of computerized training on response inhibition over a 4 week period

Treatment:

Behavioral: Response inhibition training

Placebo Control Training

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Eight 45-minute sessions of computerized placebo control training over a 4 week period

Treatment:

Behavioral: Placebo Control Training