Neural Mechanisms of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Failure (ERP in Silico)

Cognitive and Neural Networks in Psychiatry (CNNP): Neural Mechanisms of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Failure (ERP in Silico)

The aim of this study is to understand why patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) fail in therapy.

To understand the neural mechanisms involved in exposure therapy that support success and clinical improvement in order to improve therapy outcomes for OCD patients.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Detailed Description

A course of therapy is recommended for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is usually a type of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP).

In this study the investigators assess patients pre-therapy and post-therapy evaluating symptom severity (measured by the Y-BOCS) and decision-making (measured by online questionnaires and computer-based behavioural tasks).

To examine how decisions are formed in patients undergoing OCD CBT, how behaviour changes after a non-pharmacological therapy module and how it is associated to the alleviation of OCD symptoms.

The study, which will recruit 90 patients, is based at University College London - Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging. This study is a part of the Cognitive and Neural Networks in Psychiatry (CNNP) study.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 90

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Tricia Seow, PhD; Phone Number: +44-(0)203-1087538; Email: t.seow@ucl.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • London, United Kingdom, WC1B 5EH
    • Recruiting
    • Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research
    • Contact: Karen Hoang, MSc; Phone Number: +44-(0)203-1087538; Email: k.hoang@ucl.ac.uk
    • Contact: Tricia Seow, PhD; Phone Number: +44-(0)203-1087538; Email: t.seow@ucl.ac.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 51 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Normal/corrected to normal vision
• Expecting to start OCD therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Autism spectrum disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, addiction, substance abuse, bipolar, hoarding, or Tourette disorder
• Hearing conditions: tinnitus, ear inflammation, hearing sensitivity, hearing loss, requires hearing aids
• Colour blindness
• Severe learning disabilities

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale (Y-BOCS)	The Y-BOCS is a 10-item scale used to assess symptom severity in OCD.	3 - 9 months
Decision making and learning tasks	Computer-based behavioural task developed by the investigators to understand decision making in OCD.	3 - 9 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient EX/RP Adherence Scale (PEAS)	Self-report assessment for patient's therapy adherence.	3 - 9 months
Short form of Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ)	Self-report assessment for obsessive beliefs.	3 - 9 months
Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ)	Self-report assessment for experiential avoidance.	3 - 9 months
International Cognitive Ability Resource (ICAR16)	Measure to assess cognitive ability.	3 - 9 months
Worry Domains Questionnaire - Short Form (WDQ-SF)	Self-report assessment for worry.	3 - 9 months
The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF)	Self-report assessment for quality of life assessment.	3 - 9 months
Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)	Self-report assessment for functional impairment.	3 - 9 months
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)	Measure of trait and state anxiety	3 - 9 months
Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS)	Self-report measure of depressive symptomatology.	3 - 9 months
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3)	Self-report measure for anxiety sensitivity symptomatology.	3 - 9 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University College, London
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tobias Hauser, PhD, University College, London

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 10, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 26, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): August 29, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 16, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Personality Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Compulsive Personality Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: 15/0541

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No