Neurofeedback for Treatment-resistant Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Summary

The aim of this study is to teach participants with a OCD diagnosis and treatment-resistance how to decrease the response from a brain region involved in the disease by using a technique called neurofeedback. While using this technique, the participants visualize their own brain response in a screen during a MRI exam. Participants will learn strategies to decrease brain responses. The neurofeedback technique is non-invasive, without known risks to participants. With this study, it is expect that the neurofeedback training over 2 weeks (2 sessions) will reduce the OCD symptoms when compared to a control intervention based on neurofeedback's placebo effects.

Conditions

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• OCD

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Real neurofeedback

Regulation of brain activity in real-time with feedback from brain activity measured with MRI from the orbitofrontal cortex of the participant him/herself. Participants receive feedback of their own brain activity in a screen with pictures. Participants are instructed to try to decrease the pictures transparency to reduce the orbitofrontal cortical activity. Psychotherapy strategies to decrease brain responses will be teach to the participants before the intervention.

BEHAVIORAL

Sham neurofeedback

Regulation of brain activity in real-time with feedback from brain activity measured with MRI from the orbitofrontal cortex of other participant. Participants receive feedback of other participant' brain activity in a screen with pictures. Participants are instructed to try to decrease the pictures transparency to reduce the orbitofrontal cortex activity. Psychotherapy strategies to decrease brain responses will be teach to the participants before the intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hospital de Braga

  collaborator OTHER

• Clinical Academic Center (2CA)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Pedro Morgado

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Pedro Morgado, M.D., Ph.D. · Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory; Braga, Portugal

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-04-05

Primary Completion

2021-07-31

Completion

2021-08-31

Countries

• Portugal

Study Locations