The Use of Magnetic Brain Stimulation to Treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a Pilot Study

The purpose of this study is two-fold: first, to observe the effect of one session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the error-prediction abilities of patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as healthy individuals; and second, to observe the clinical effect of 10 sessions of rTMS in patients with OCD.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

A battery of cognitive tasks designed to selectively measure several aspects of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) function, will be administered before and after one session of rTMS in all participants. The first neurocognitive session will be administered in a separate day from the rTMS session. The second neurocognitive session will be performed immediately after rTMS and in the same day. Participants will perform five tasks designed to test: error processing, error likelihood assessment, meta-memory, response inhibition, and affect recognition.

The rTMS paradigm will consist of four short trains of magnetic pulses which include 5 minutes of stimulation with 1Hz frequency (overall 1200 pulses in one session) with an intensity of 110% of each participant's motor threshold, and 2 minute intervals between the stimulation trains. Stimulation will be applied over the dorsal ACC (dACC) using a double-cone rTMS coil. dACC will be precisely targeted using neuronavigation software loaded a high resolution MRI of each subjects' brain.

OCD patients will go on to receive two weeks (10 sessions) of daily rTMS treatments using the same protocol described above.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder
Not currently receiving cognitive behavioural therapy
Not currently on any medication or only taking one selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)

Exclusion criteria

History of psychotic episodes
History of neurological illness
Previous head injury
Active alcohol or substance abuse
History of seizure disorders
Currently pregnant

Treatment and study plan

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Device

A non-invasive method for brain stimulation

Primary outcomes

Change in Obsessive and Compulsive Symptom Severity (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale)

Time frame: Recordings: baseline; after two weeks of rTMS

Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Minimum value = 0. Maximum value = 40. Higher scores indicate greater severity of obsessive and compulsive symptoms.

Secondary outcomes

Change in Post-error Slowing

Time frame: Recordings: baseline; after one session of rTMS

Post-error slowing (PES) is the difference in response time on trials following an error to trials following a correct response. Higher numbers indicate more post-error slowing (i.e. longer response times following an error trial compared to following a correct trial). The outcome measure is the change in PES from baseline to following one session of rTMS.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Manitoba

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Efficacy of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a Pilot Study

Important dates

Study start: 2011
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2015
First posted: Sep 4, 2015
Registry last updated: Sep 17, 2020

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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed