Assessing the Effects of a Neurobehavioral Intervention on Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (CCT-OC)

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive Control Training; Behavioral: Peripheral Vision Task

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
      • Boston University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

• BDI-II suicidality score of > 1

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CCT; 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; 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).
Placebo Comparator: PVT; 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; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
OCI-R scores	3 times over a two week period	up to two weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
BDNF serum levels	Two times over a two week period	up to two weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 9, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 10, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): August 11, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 18, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2020
• Last Verified: May 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: High OCI-R scores
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Personality Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Compulsive Personality Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: BU-2487; NCT01414023 (Registry Identifier: Clinical Trials)