Assessing the Effects of a Neurobehavioral Intervention on Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

NCT01414023 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: BU-2487NCT01414023
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 48
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This experiment will examine if the use of computerized tasks that train individuals to control their attention more effectively will predict individual differences in obsessive-compulsive symptoms, rumination and BDNF change. After giving consent, filling out self-report forms, and giving blood for the BDNF test, 80 participants will be randomized to Cognitive Control Training (CCT) or Peripheral Vision Task (PVT) (described below) which will be administered three times over a two week period. At the third visit, participants will also complete an anagram task and repeat the blood draw for BDNF testing. The investigators hypothesize that computerized tasks that train individuals to control their attention more effectively will reduce Obsessive Compulsive (OC) symptoms. Additionally, individuals training in CCT will show increased ability to disengage from unattainable goals as assessed by responses to an unsolvable anagram task. Finally, individuals training in CCT will show a greater increase in BDNF levels as compared to individuals training in PVT.

Conditions

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Keywords

High OCI-R scores

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• OCI-R scores

  3 times over a two week period

  up to two weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• BDNF serum levels

  up to two weeks

Study Arms (2)

CCT

EXPERIMENTAL

Cognitive Control Training - Pace Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT;(Gronwall, 1977): A computer version of the PASAT will be used to measure sustained attention and working memory. Participants are asked to add serially presented numbers. Attention Control Intervention (Wells, 2000): This task involves training individuals to attend differentially to multiple auditory sources (e.g., by counting tones, discriminating the location of tones, and moving their attention between auditory sources for a prolonged period).

Behavioral: Cognitive Control Training

PVT

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Peripheral Vision Task (PVT; C. Moore, personal communication): This task serves as a non-active control condition which does not target the brain regions influenced by the Wells and PASAT tasks. Participants focus on the placement of dots on a computer screen in this task while listening to a tone.

Behavioral: Peripheral Vision Task

Interventions

Cognitive Control Training BEHAVIORAL

Pace Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT;(Gronwall, 1977): A computer version of the PASAT will be used to measure sustained attention and working memory. Participants are asked to add serially presented numbers. Attention Control Intervention (Wells, 2000): This task involves training individuals to attend differentially to multiple auditory sources (e.g., by counting tones, discriminating the location of tones, and moving their attention between auditory sources for a prolonged period).

CCT

Peripheral Vision Task BEHAVIORAL

Peripheral Vision Task (PVT; C. Moore, personal communication): This task serves as a non-active control condition which does not target the brain regions influenced by the Wells and PASAT tasks. Participants focus on the placement of dots on a computer screen in this task while listening to a tone.

PVT

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults ages 18-65 years
• OCI-R total score ≥ 16
• Ability to read and provide informed consent.
• Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse.

You may not qualify if:

• BDI-II suicidality score of \> 1

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Boston University Charles River Campus: lead

Study Sites (1)

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Anxiety Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 9, 2011
• First Posted: August 11, 2011
• Study Start: July 1, 2011
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2012
• Study Completion: July 1, 2012
• Last Updated: May 18, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-05

Locations

US (1)