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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (FRONT)

Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (FRONT)

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02743715
Acronym
FRONT
Enrollment
44
Registered
2016-04-19
Start date
2016-04-30
Completion date
2018-08-31
Last updated
2020-12-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Keywords

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Transcranial direct current stimulation, Neuromodulation

Brief summary

Neuromodulation techniques for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have expanded with the greater understanding of the brain circuits involved in this disorder. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that has been studied as an alternative for strategy for treatment-resistant OCD. The main study is a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded trial tDCS for OCD patients unresponsive to cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Forty-four patients will be randomized to two groups: active or simulated intervention. The intervention consisted of delivering an electric current of 2mA to the cathode, positioned bilaterally in the cranial region corresponding to the supplementary motor cortex, and the anode positioned in the deltoid (neutral region), during 30-minutes, for four consecutive weeks. The primary outcome was the reduction in baseline YBOCS scores before and after of tDCS treatment. Secondary outcomes include measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms, genetic markers, motor cortical excitability and performance in neurocognitive tests.

Interventions

DEVICEActive tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation)

An electrical current of 2mA is delivered to the cathode, positioned bilaterally in the cranial region corresponding to the supplementary motor cortex, with the anode positioned in the deltoid (neutral region), in 30-minute sessions, 5 days a week (Mondays through Fridays) for four consecutive weeks.

DEVICESham tDCS

The cathode is positioned bilaterally in the cranial region corresponding to the supplementary motor cortex, with the anode positioned in the deltoid (neutral region), in a 30-minute session, 5 days a week (Mondays through Fridays) for four consecutive weeks, without delivery of the electric current.

Sponsors

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
University of Sao Paulo
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

all study staff were blind to the participant's condition; only the neuromodulation staff, external to the study team, were aware of the participant's treatment group

Intervention model description

randomized, sham-controlled trial

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients diagnosed with OCD according to DSM IV criteria * YBOCS score of 16 and above or ≥10 (for the presence of only compulsions or only obsessions) * Patients with other psychiatric comorbidities are not excluded, however, OCD should be the most important disease . * Age between 18 and 65 * Patients who failed one or more treatments * Patients with no previous treatment for OCD will be treated with one first line treatment before being considered to participate in the tDCS trial. * Voluntary and competent to consent

Exclusion criteria

* Other diagnostic axis I whose treatment take precedence over the treatment of OCD (bipolar affective disorder; dependence alcohol; schizophrenia or psychotic disorders; dementia) * Presence of other neurological diseases or severe clinical as neurodegenerative diseases, severe aphasia, malignancies activity, epilepsy, previous head injury, congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV; * Presence of severe suicidal ideation (Structured planning suicide or attempted suicide in the past 4 weeks); * Pregnancy; * Inability to provide informed consent; * Specific contraindication to tDCS: ( metal plates on the head, anatomic changes.); * In relation to the current use of psychotropic drugs will be permitted, provided they are in doses stable for at least 6 weeks.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
change in baseline Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scoreweeks 4,6,9,12

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Beck Depression Inventory symptoms,baseline, weeks 6 and 12
Beck Anxiety Inventorybaseline, week 6 and 12
Global Clinical Impression Scale - improvementbaseline, week 6 and 12

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026