Effectiveness of D-Cycloserine as an Aid to Enhance Learning for Individuals With OCD Receiving Behavior Therapy

Mass General Brigham

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Treatments

Behavioral: Behavior Therapy

Drug: seromycin

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00182000

2003-P-001325

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will assess the effectiveness of Seromycin (D-cycloserine) in enhancing the positive effects of behavior therapy for people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Full description

We hope to enroll 50 subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of D-cycloserine augmentation of behavior therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. All subjects will undergo a pre-treatment assessment, and then be randomly assigned to receive Seromycin (100 mg) or placebo one-hour before each of 10 therapy sessions. Subjects will then come in for a treatment planning session and the behavior therapy sessions delivered twice weekly for 5 weeks. Comprehensive assessments of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, mood state, and cognitions will be given at baseline, after 5 treatment sessions, after 10 sessions and 1 month and 6 months post-treatment.

Enrollment

33 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Score of greater than 16 on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
Negative urinary beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) test

Exclusion criteria

Currently taking or have taken an unstable dose of psychotropic medications within 2 months prior to enrollment
Currently taking medications that may interfere with the study medication
History of seizure disorder or other serious medical illnesses (e.g., cardiovascular, liver, kidney, respiratory, endocrine, neurologic, or blood-related disease)
Current diagnosis of tuberculosis
Other psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., alcohol dependence, bipolar disorder, psychosis, organic mental disorder, or development disorder) that are of greater concern than the obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosis
Currently taking medications that may lower seizure threshold (e.g., including clozapine, pethidine, and the following antibiotics in high dosage: penicillins, cephalosporins, amphotericin, and imipenem)
Poses a serious suicidal or homicidal threat
Currently undergoing psychotherapy
Failure to benefit from ten or more sessions of previous Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment
Pregnant or breastfeeding