NCT03918577

Brief Summary

This study investigates whether caloric vestibular stimulation can modulate a measure of insight in obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
16

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable

Timeline
8mo left

Started May 2022

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress86%
May 2022Dec 2026

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 15, 2019

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 17, 2019

Completed
3.1 years until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 10, 2022

Completed
4.6 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 30, 2026

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 30, 2026

Last Updated

January 22, 2026

Status Verified

January 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

4.6 years

First QC Date

April 15, 2019

Last Update Submit

January 21, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

Caloric Vestibular StimulationInsight

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • change in clinical insight as measured by the Brown Assessment of Beliefs (BABS).

    Changes in clinical insight will be rated using the BABS, a gold-standard measure for assessing multiple dimensions of clinical insight across psychiatric disorders. The BABS is a 24 point scale for which scores ≥13 suggest poor or absent insight.

    1 hour

Study Arms (2)

right cold caloric vestibular stimulation

EXPERIMENTAL

OCRD participants in this arm will receive an approx 60 second infusion of distilled cold(4)c water in their right external ear canal, with before and after measures of OCRD symptom severity and insight.

Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation

left cold caloric vestibular stimulation

EXPERIMENTAL

OCRD participants in this arm will receive an approx 60 second infusion of distilled cold(4)c water in their left external ear canal, with before and after measures of OCRD symptom severity and insight.

Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation

Interventions

Cold water creates a convection current in the semicircular canal of the vestibular apparatus, leading to brief (\<3 min) and typically well tolerated sense of rotational movement. Similar stimulation is routinely used in standard vestibular diagnostic testing.

left cold caloric vestibular stimulationright cold caloric vestibular stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 65 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Age 18-65
  • Primary diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Illness Anxiety Disorder or Somatic Symptom Disorder (excluding "with predominant pain")
  • Strongly held OCRD-related concerns meeting BABS score criterion.
  • No recent change in psychopharmacological treatment, if any
  • Capacity to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

  • Psychiatric or medical conditions (eg, vertigo, history of otological surgery) that might make participation unsafe
  • Pregnant or nursing women
  • Active or recent substance use

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Stanford University

Stanford, California, 94304, United States

RECRUITING

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderBody Dysmorphic Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Anxiety DisordersMental DisordersSomatoform Disorders

Study Officials

  • Peter J van Roessel, MD, PhD

    Stanford University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Pavithra Mukunda, MS

CONTACT

Maria Filippou-Frye, MD, MBS

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
OTHER
Intervention Model
CROSSOVER
Model Details: randomized, controlled crossover study
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 15, 2019

First Posted

April 17, 2019

Study Start

May 10, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Last Updated

January 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations