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Mechanisms of Exposure Therapy for OCD

NCT06173752 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 400

Last updated 2026-01-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Exposure therapy is the most effective treatment available for obsessive compulsive disorder, yet up to 50% of patients do not recover because the mechanisms underlying successful response are poorly understood, leading to significant variability in how clinicians conduct exposure therapy. The main purpose of this study is to determine which target mechanisms are most critical to engage in real-world exposure sessions to produce good treatment outcomes. Adult participants (N = 400) with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) receiving exposure therapy from two sites (McLean Hospital, San Diego State University) across the continuum of care (outpatient, partial hospital, residential) will complete baseline clinical and demographic measures as well as weekly symptom reports. The project will measure exposure mechanisms across three levels of analysis (self-report, observer-rated behavior, physiology) during each exposure session. Mechanisms assessed will include a broad range of variables based on both habituation and inhibitory learning models of exposure. Self-report and observer-rated mechanisms will be measured with the Exposure Feedback Form, created and piloted by the study team. Physiological mechanisms will include skin conductance response, heart rate, and heart rate variability measured with a wristwatch. The current study will determine (1) which exposure mechanisms lead to favorable clinical outcomes, and (2) what makes a good exposure for whom. Results of this study have the potential to improve personalized care for the many patients who do not remit following exposure therapy for OCD.

Conditions

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure therapy

Participants will complete exposure therapy for up to 12 weeks, and coached exposure session will be approximately 50 minutes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Mclean Hospital

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Jennie M Kuckertz, PhD · Mclean Hospital

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-10-16
Primary Completion
2029-04-30
Completion
2029-04-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06173752 on ClinicalTrials.gov