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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Extinction in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Sponsor: Yale University
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with substantial impairments in quality of life and is among the most disabling psychiatric disorders. Exposure therapy is among the first-line of treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) . Extinction learning is thought to be a core mechanism of therapeutic exposure. Fear and safety signal learning are traditionally associated with activity and connectivity within the canonical corticolimbic "fear circuit", which includes the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and hippocampus. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technology that can augment brain plasticity, learning, and memory. The proposed study will test if obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with inhibitory safety learning deficits and if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) normalizes functional connectivity and safety signal processing to recover extinction deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Official title: Characterization and Modulation of Functional Connectivity and Fear Extinction Abnormalities in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 60 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
180
Start Date
2025-09-12
Completion Date
2029-08-01
Last Updated
2026-02-04
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Active transcranial direct current stimulation
Multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered. The anode will be placed over the frontal pole (Fpz, 10-20 electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) and will be surrounded by 5 return electrodes (cathodes). Current will be set at 1.5mA and will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds at the beginning and end of a 20-minute stimulation period.
Sham transcranial direct current stimulation
Multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered. The anode will be placed over the frontal pole (Fpz, 10-20 electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) and will be surrounded by 5 return electrodes (cathodes). Current will be set at 1.5mA and will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds at the beginning of a 20-minute period.
Locations (1)
Temple Medical Center
New Haven, Connecticut, United States