Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Extinction in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Part of paid clinical trials in New Haven, Connecticut.

Sponsor
Yale University
Study ID
NCT06834217
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 70 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Active transcranial direct current stimulation — DEVICE
    Multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered. The anode will be placed over the frontal pole (Fpz, 10-20 electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) and will be surrounded by 5 return electrodes (cathodes). Current will be set at 1.5mA and will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds at the beginning and end of a 20-minute stimulation period.
  • Sham transcranial direct current stimulation — DEVICE
    Multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered. The anode will be placed over the frontal pole (Fpz, 10-20 electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) and will be surrounded by 5 return electrodes (cathodes). Current will be set at 1.5mA and will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds at the beginning of a 20-minute period.

Study Details

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with substantial impairments in quality of life and is among the most disabling psychiatric disorders. Exposure therapy is among the first-line of treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) . Extinction learning is thought to be a core mechanism of therapeutic exposure. Fear and safety signal learning are traditionally associated with activity and connectivity within the canonical corticolimbic "fear circuit", which includes the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and hippocampus. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technology that can augment brain plasticity, learning, and memory. The proposed study will test if obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with inhibitory safety learning deficits and if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) normalizes functional connectivity and safety signal processing to recover extinction deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Key Dates

Start date
Sep 12, 2025
Status verified
Jun 2025
Primary completion
Apr 1, 2029
Completion
Aug 1, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment
180 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Active Comparator: Active transcranial direct current stimulation
    Current will be ramped in/out for 30 seconds at the beginning and end of a 20-minute period and a constant current will be delivered for the 20-minutes between ramping.
  • Sham Comparator: Sham transcranial direct current stimulation
    Current will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds followed by a 20-minute period during which no stimulation will be delivered.

Primary Outcome Measure

Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response to create functional brain activation maps [ Time Frame: Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) will be measured across 3 daily scan sessions separated by ~24 hours each; data will be reported from all 3 sessions. ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Temple Medical CenterNew HavenConnecticut06511
Ava Reker, B.A.
[email protected]
2037854575
Thomas Adams, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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By research site
Temple Medical Center· New Haven, CT

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