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NCT Number: NCT07019571

tDCS and Urge in BFRBs

The goal of this study is to find out if brain stimulation can help people stop skin-picking or nail-biting. The study wants to answer two main questions:

1. Does brain stimulation reduce the urge to pick skin or bite nails after those urges are triggered? 2. Does brain stimulation reduce how often people pick their skin or bite their nails?

Participants will:

* Talk about their skin-picking, nail-biting, and other mental health concerns * Be placed in situations that make them want to pick or bite * Rate how strong their urges are before and after brain stimulation Researchers will compare real brain stimulation to a placebo (a fake version that looks the same but has no effect) to see if the real stimulation works to reduce skin-picking and nail-biting urges and behaviors.

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Key information

Conditions

Repetitive Compulsive Behavior Bites and Stings Chemically-Induced Disorders Poisoning Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Gopalkumar Rakesh, MD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hannah Wild

CONTACT

[email protected]

859-414-6962

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Ability to provide informed consent (as established by clinical interview), and voluntary, signed informed consent prior to the performance of any study specific
  • Ability and willingness to perform study-relevant clinical assessments and tDCS
  • Endorses mild to extreme intensity of urges to pick or bite their skin or nails

Exclusion criteria

  • Any unstable medical, psychiatric, or neurological condition (including active or otherwise problematic suicidality) that may necessitate urgent treatment
  • Daily use of psychotropic medications that substantially lower seizure threshold (e.g., clozapine)
  • History of psychosis, mania, major neurological disorder, significant head trauma, or seizures/epilepsy
  • Current suicidal intent
  • Any major neurological disease or history of major head trauma, including concussion with extended loss of consciousness, or of psychosurgery
  • Current or suspected pregnancy
  • Endorsing possible contraindications for tDCS

Treatment and study plan

Wireless Multichannel Transcranial Current Stimulator (tDCS)

Device

tDCS will be delivered for 13 minutes (active) or only at the beginning and end of the 13 minute period (sham) using Neuroelectrics Instrument Controller software and a battery-driven Starstim 8-channel transcranial direct current stimulator with 1cm2 ceramic electrodes and SIGNAGEL conductive saline gel.

Cue Exposure

Behavioral

Participants will undergo three, twenty-second trials of exposure to individualized cues at the top of the established urge hierarchy, previously determined to precede picking or biting behaviors before and after tDCS.

Boredom induction

Behavioral

Participants will be left in the testing room without access to a cellphone or reading materials for 2 different 6 minute periods.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in subjective urge

    Time frame: baseline and post intervention, approximately 90 minutes

    Individuals will rate their urge to pick using a scale (1-10) with a higher score meaning greater urge. They will rate their urge three times in a row, at two different time-points.

  2. Change in subjective distress

    Time frame: baseline and post intervention, approximately 90 minutes

    Individuals will rate their distress using a scale (1-10) with a higher score meaning greater distress. They will rate their distress three times in a row, at two different time-points.

  3. Change in picking or biting behavioral frequency

    Time frame: baseline and post intervention (approximately 90 minutes)

    Picking or biting behaviors will be assessed via two 6-minute blocks of visual observation, before and after tDCS. The frequency of the behaviors observed will be collected in each block. Change in total frequency between blocks will be calculated.

  4. Change in picking or biting behaviors duration

    Time frame: baseline and post intervention (approximately 90 minutes)

    Picking or biting behaviors will be assessed via two 6-minute blocks of visual observation, before and after tDCS. Duration of the behaviors observed will be collected in each block. Change in total duration between blocks will be calculated.

Study contacts

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

Hannah Wild, M.S.

CONTACT

[email protected]

‪(859) 414-6962‬

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Gopalkumar Rakesh

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluating the Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Urge in Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 13, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 23, 2025

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

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

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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