Internet-delivered Attention Training for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Attention Training Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02018848

HU-ATP-OCD-2013

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to investigate an attention training program for participants with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The attention training consists of a modified dot probe task with picture stimuli related to washing and checking paired with neutral pictures.

Participants are randomly assigned to an experimental and a placebo-control group. After a minimum of 4 weeks of attention training we expect to find differences between participants of the experimental and the control group in terms of attention bias, OCD symptoms, anxiety and depression.

Enrollment: 108 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosis of primary OCD according to OCI-R self report (cut-off >=18)

Exclusion criteria

• suicidal
• substance abuse or addiction
• psychotic symptoms
• visual impairment if not compensated with optical aid

Current treatment is not an exclusion criterion, but data on treatment status (current psycho- or pharmacotherapy for OCD) will enter our statistical analyses.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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108 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Attention Training Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Same procedure, stimulus material, frequency and duration as in experimental group. The only difference: In the placebo group the probe randomly appears at one of the two locations on the screen so as not to train attention in any direction. Thus, the placebo training sessions are identical to the bias assessment sessions.

Attention Training Program

Experimental group

Description:

The Attention Training consists of a modified dot-probe task. In this task pairs of pictures (OCD-relevant/neutral) are presented for 500 ms on a computer screen. Next, a probe appears on one of the two former picture locations. Participants have to react to that probe by pressing the corresponding button on the keyboard. One training session takes approximately 10 minutes in which 160 stimulus pairs are shown. In the experimental group the probe always appears at the location of the neutral picture so as to train attention away from OCD-relevant stimuli. Participants are asked to complete at least 2 training sessions per week over a period of 5 weeks. The first and last session are bias assessment sessions (see outcome measures), but participants stay blind to this.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention Training Program