Purpose

This study investigates whether caloric vestibular stimulation can modulate a measure of insight in obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 65 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age 18-65 - Primary diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Illness Anxiety Disorder or Somatic Symptom Disorder (excluding "with predominant pain") - Strongly held OCRD-related concerns meeting BABS score criterion. - No recent change in psychopharmacological treatment, if any - Capacity to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

  • Psychiatric or medical conditions (eg, vertigo, history of otological surgery) that might make participation unsafe - Pregnant or nursing women - Active or recent substance use

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Crossover Assignment
Intervention Model Description
randomized, controlled crossover study
Primary Purpose
Other
Masking
Single (Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
right cold caloric vestibular stimulation
OCRD participants in this arm will receive an approx 60 second infusion of distilled cold(4)c water in their right external ear canal, with before and after measures of OCRD symptom severity and insight.
  • Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation
    Cold water creates a convection current in the semicircular canal of the vestibular apparatus, leading to brief (<3 min) and typically well tolerated sense of rotational movement. Similar stimulation is routinely used in standard vestibular diagnostic testing.
Experimental
left cold caloric vestibular stimulation
OCRD participants in this arm will receive an approx 60 second infusion of distilled cold(4)c water in their left external ear canal, with before and after measures of OCRD symptom severity and insight.
  • Other: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation
    Cold water creates a convection current in the semicircular canal of the vestibular apparatus, leading to brief (<3 min) and typically well tolerated sense of rotational movement. Similar stimulation is routinely used in standard vestibular diagnostic testing.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Stanford University

Study Contact

Pavithra Mukunda, MS
650-723-4095
ocdresearch@stanford.edu

Detailed Description

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRD), including obsessive compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder, are chronic and disabling conditions characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts and associated compulsive behaviors that affect millions of individuals in the US each year. Individuals affected by OCRD differ in insight, or the degree to which they understand their intrusive thoughts to reflect illness. Impairments in insight limit individuals' motivation to engage in care and predict worse outcome in those who access treatment. This study seeks to explore whether unilateral stimulation of the vestibular system, which activates cortical areas hypothesized to underlie clinical insight, may beneficially modulate insight in individuals with OCRD.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.