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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Extinction in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

NCT06834217 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 180

Last updated 2026-05-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with substantial impairments in quality of life and is among the most disabling psychiatric disorders. Exposure therapy is among the first-line of treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) . Extinction learning is thought to be a core mechanism of therapeutic exposure. Fear and safety signal learning are traditionally associated with activity and connectivity within the canonical corticolimbic "fear circuit", which includes the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and hippocampus. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technology that can augment brain plasticity, learning, and memory. The proposed study will test if obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with inhibitory safety learning deficits and if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) normalizes functional connectivity and safety signal processing to recover extinction deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Conditions

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Interventions

DEVICE

Active transcranial direct current stimulation

Multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered. The anode will be placed over the frontal pole (Fpz, 10-20 electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) and will be surrounded by 5 return electrodes (cathodes). Current will be set at 1.5mA and will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds at the beginning and end of a 20-minute stimulation period.

DEVICE

Sham transcranial direct current stimulation

Multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered. The anode will be placed over the frontal pole (Fpz, 10-20 electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) and will be surrounded by 5 return electrodes (cathodes). Current will be set at 1.5mA and will be ramped in and out for 30 seconds at the beginning of a 20-minute period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    collaborator NIH

  • Yale University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-09-12
Primary Completion
2029-04-01
Completion
2029-08-01
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

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 NCT06834217 on ClinicalTrials.gov