Leveraging Technological Advancements to Improve the Treatment of Trichotillomania

Johns Hopkins University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hair Pulling; Trichotillomania; Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)

Treatments: Device: HabitAware Keen2

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05003401

IRB00279950

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project will examine the effect using the Keen 2 on hair pulling styles (automatic and focused), the severity of hair pulling behaviors, and related psychiatric symptoms. Given that the Keen2 is anticipated to increase awareness of pulling behavior (but not necessarily change pulling behavior), the investigators hypothesize that the Keen 2 will increase awareness of pulling behaviors and reduce automatic pulling behavior. The investigators will explore reductions in overall hair pulling severity and related psychiatric symptoms.

Full description

Novel technologies present one solution to help identify and reduce automatic pulling behaviors associated with trichotillomania (TTM). The Keen 2 is one such novel technology, which is a bracelet which gives the user alerts in the form of a vibration when the user is engaging in hair pulling behavior. Thus, using the Keen 2 could positively increase the awareness of automatic pulling behaviors, which is largely unaffected by existing evidence-based treatments like HRT. This information would be advantageous for the scientific community to determine the possible benefit of this approach to help individuals with TTM.

This project will examine the effect using the Keen 2 on hair pulling styles (automatic and focused), the severity of hair pulling behaviors, and related psychiatric symptoms. Given that the Keen2 is anticipated to increase awareness of pulling behavior (but not necessarily change pulling behavior), the investigators hypothesize that the Keen 2 will increase awareness of pulling behaviors and reduce automatic pulling behavior. The investigators will explore reductions in overall hair pulling severity and related psychiatric symptoms.

Enrollment: 25 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. 18 years of age or older;
2. meet diagnostic criteria for TTM using the TDI-R
3. have a MGH-HPS total score ≥ 12 at baseline;

(3) have an "automatic" pulling score ≥ 15 on the MIST; (4) able to wear the Keen2 device for four weeks; (5) able to attend three study visits; (6) unmedicated or a stable dose of psychiatric medication for 8 weeks prior to enrollment; (7) be English speaking.

Exclusion criteria

1. an inability to complete rating scales, and
2. an inability to attend study visits

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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25 participants in 1 patient group

HabitAware Keen 2

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive the wrist device device that alerts the participant when the participant is engaging in hair pulling behavior.

Treatment:

Device: HabitAware Keen2