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NCT Number: NCT07011901

Precision Analytic Research Methods in OCD

Psychiatric disorders characterized by compulsivity, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), result in considerable functional impairment and many individuals do not respond to gold-standard treatments. Compulsivity has long been thought to occur due to exaggerated habits and reduced goal-directed control, although more recently, this conceptualization of compulsivity as an imbalance of two cognitive systems has been challenged as overly narrow. This study will recruit 100 individuals (50 adults diagnosed with OCD, 50 healthy controls) and leverage the measurement precision offered by theory-driven computational modeling in combination with electroencephalogram (EEG) to go beyond this binary theory of compulsivity, revealing how more complex interactions of neurocognitive subcomponents contribute to compulsivity-information that could ultimately lead to improved treatment personalization and clinical outcomes.

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Key information

Conditions

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Age range

18 year–55 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York, 10029, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Amy Rapp

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Participants must be:

  • between the ages 18-55 years old
  • English-speaking
  • right-handed
  • able to provide consent

Exclusion criteria

Individuals diagnosed with OCD will be excluded if:

  • they meet diagnostic criteria for certain other psychiatric disorders
  • are taking psychiatric medication or have received behavioral treatment for OCD within a certain timeframe
  • if it is unsafe for them to participate in research

Healthy control participants will be excluded if:

  • they have a current psychiatric disorder
  • a lifetime history of certain psychiatric disorders
  • are taking psychiatric medication or have in the past
  • have a parent or sibling who has been diagnosed with OCD
  • if it is unsafe for them to participate in research

Treatment and study plan

Exposure and Response Prevention

Behavioral

Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) is the gold-standard behavioral treatment for OCD. It involves confronting the content of obsessions (distressing thoughts, images, or impulses) and resisting the urge to engage in compulsions (observable behaviors or mental acts that are repeated to reduce the anxiety/distress associated with compulsions).

Primary outcomes

  1. Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale

    Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 10

    A semi-structured clinician-administered instrument used to measure obsessions and compulsions separately over five dimensions (time consumed, distress, interference, degree of resistance, control). The range of scores for the Obsessions and Compulsions subscales is 0-20, and the range for the total score is 0-40. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity, and a total score greater or equal to 16 is considered indicative of moderately severe OCD

Secondary outcomes

  1. Obsessive Compulsive Inventory- Revised

    Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 10

    An 18-item self-report measure to assess obsessions and compulsions that demonstrates good psychometric properties and has been used in other research as a transdiagnostic measure of compulsivity. The range of scores for the six subscales (Washing; Obsessing; Ordering; Checking; Neutralizing; Hoarding) is 0-12. The range for the total score is 0-60 and does not include the Hoarding subscale. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.

  2. Cambridge-Chicago Compulsivity Trait Scale

    Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 10

    A 15-item self-report measure to assess compulsivity transdiagnostically that exhibits high internal consistency and excellent convergent validity with gold-standard measures of compulsive symptoms. The range for the total score is 0-45, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity

  3. Self-Report Habit Index

    Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 10

    A 12-item self-report measure of the repetition and automaticity of a behavior that exhibits high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The range for the total score is 12-84, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

  4. Dimensional Obsessive- Compulsive Scale

    Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 10

    A 20-item self-report measure that assesses four of the most consistently replicated thematic dimensions of OCD symptoms (i.e., contamination, harm, symmetry, repugnant content). The DOCS demonstrates good to excellent internal consistency, validity, and sensitivity. The range of scores for the four subscales (Contamination; Harm; Unacceptable Thoughts; Symmetry) is 0-20, and the range for the total score is 0-80. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Amy Rapp, Ph.D.

CONTACT

[email protected]

212-241-5288

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Dissecting Neurocognitive Components of Compulsivity Using Computational Modeling and EEG

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2030
Study completion
2030
First posted
Jun 10, 2025
Registry last updated
Oct 23, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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