Mechanisms of Exposure Therapy for OCD (NCT06173752)
Leveraging Machine Learning Approaches to Understand Mechanisms of Exposure Therapy in Real-World Settings
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
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.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: Center for Understanding and Treating Anxiety — San Diego, California
Age range: 18 Years to 65 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- Exposure therapy (BEHAVIORAL)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (2 Sites)
- Center for Understanding and Treating Anxiety — San Diego, California
- McLean OCDI — Belmont, Massachusetts
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (617) 855-2962
Email: jkuckertz@mclean.harvard.edu
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Feasibility, Clinical Effects, and Safety of Psilocybin-assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment-resistant OCD — Toronto, Ontario
- Effects of Psilocybin in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — Baltimore, Maryland
- Development of Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation for OCD — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Phase II Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Personalized DBS for OCD Guided by Stereoencephalography Mapping — San Francisco, California
- Brain Recordings in Patients Undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) — Houston, Texas
Explore by condition: All Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.