Electroencephalography (EEG) Predictors of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Electroencephalography (EEG) Predictors of Response to Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

This study is designed to find Electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarkers to predict transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) response in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: High-Definition transcranial direct current stimulation

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to explore resting state electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) biomarkers that would predict transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) response in obsessive-compulsive disorder with cathode electrode targeting orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). 30 OCD patients will be recruited to this study and performed once a day, five times a week direct current stimulation treatment for two weeks. The investigators will assess symptom severity before and after two weeks of tDCS. Through the study, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale（Y-BOCS）, the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), the Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI)and side-effect questionnaire will be obtained by a trained investigator. Resting state electroencephalography and TMS-EEG testing will be conducted before and after tDCS treatment.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Shanghai
    • Shanghai, Shanghai, China, 200030
      • Shanghai Mental Health Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age: 18-50 years old;
• DSM-5 criteria for OCD;
• Y-BOCS total score > or = 16
• >or＝9 years education

Exclusion Criteria:

• any additional current psychiatric comorbidity
• The inability to receive tDCS because of metallic implants, or history of seizures，history of head injury, or history of neurosurgery.
• Participants with claustrophobic, heart pacemaker, mechanical heart valve, mechanical implant such as an aneurysm clip, hip replacement, or any other pieces of metal that have accidentally entered their body.
• Any current significant medical condition.
• serious suicide risk

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: tDCS treatment; Cathode transcranial direct current stimulation over the right OFC will be applied once a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks.	Device: High-Definition transcranial direct current stimulation; The tDCS device will deliver a direct current of 1.5mA for 20 minutes. Cathode electrode will be localized in front of the OFC on the Fp2 point according to the EEG international reference. Four anode electrodes will be placed around FP2 (i.e. Fpz, AFz, AF4, AF8).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in symptom improvement assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)	It assesses the severity of OCD symptoms. The Y-BOCS scale ranges from 0 to 40, with 0 being no symptoms and 40 being severe.The responder on Y-BOCS is defined as a Y-BOCS decrease at least 35% from the baseline at post-treatment.	Up to 3 months
Change in long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI) and short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) measured by TMS-EEG	LICI and SICI are TMS-EEG paradigm to assess the extent of cortical inhibition. LICI and SICI will be measured using single and paired TMS pulses applied to the OFC. LICI and SICI will be compared between before and after treatment.	Up to 2 weeks
EEG biomarkers as predictors of response to tDCS	LICI and SICI measured by TMS-EEG and resting state EEG will be performed to investigate predictors of response to tDCS in OCD patients.	baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised(OCI-R)	It is an inventory of OCD symptoms with 18 items that are rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 0 to 72, with higher scores indicating more severe OCD symptoms.	Up to 3 months
Change in Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)	The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) contains 19 self-rated questions which measures seven aspects of sleep: (1) subjective sleep quality, (2) sleep latency, (3) sleep duration, (4) habitual sleep efficiency, (5) sleep disturbances, (6) use of sleeping medication, and (7) daytime dysfunction. The 19 self-rated items are combined to form seven component scores, each of which has a range of 0-3 points (0 indicates no difficulty, while 3 indicates severe difficulty). The seven component scores are then summed to yield one global score, with a range of 0-21 points (0 indicating no difficulty, and 21 indicating severe difficulties in all the seven areas of sleep quality).	Up to 3 months
Change in Side-effect questionnaire	It consists of 10-item and uses 0 to 3 severity scale to rate the intensity of side effects. Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating more severe side-effect. It also assesses the relation between side-effect and the effects of tDCS using 0 to 4 scale. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher score indicating the greater relation.	Up to 3 months
Change in The Beck Depression Inventory(BDI)	It consists of 21 items and uses a 0 to 3 severity scale. Total scores range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating more severe depression symptoms.	Up to 3 months
Change in The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)	It is an inventory of anxiety symptoms with 18 items that are rated on a 5-point Likert scale(0 to 4). Total scores range from 0 to 72, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms.	Up to 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Shanghai Mental Health Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Zhen Wang, PhD,MD, Shanghai Mental Health Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 8, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 9, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): June 11, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 15, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 12, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: transcranial direct current stimulation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Personality Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Compulsive Personality Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: SMHC-OCD-006

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No