Brain scans reveal why people with BDD see themselves differently
NCT ID NCT04373629
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how the brain and eyes work together when people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) view their own face. Researchers will use brain scans and eye-tracking to understand why people with BDD see their appearance differently. The goal is to learn more about these perception problems so better treatments can be developed in the future. About 146 adults aged 18-40 with BDD will take part.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 146 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Body dysmorphic disorder: Inclusion: * males or females * ages 18-40 * meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 (DSM-5) criteria for Body Dysmorphic Disorder * have a Body Dysmorphic Disorder version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Scale (BDD-YBOCS) score of ≥20 * primary appearance concerns of the face or head area * medication naïve or medication free for at least 8 weeks prior to enrollment Inclusion Criteria: Subclinical body dysmorphic disorder: Inclusion: * males or females * ages 18-40 * have a score on the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire of ≥8 \[1 standard deviation (STD) above population norms\] - primary appearance concerns of the face or head area * medication naïve or medication free for at least 8 weeks prior to enrollment Inclusion Criteria: Healthy controls: Inclusion * Healthy males and females from any racial or ethnic background - ages 18-40 * have a score on the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire of \<8 Exclusion Criteria: Body dysmorphic disorder: Exclusion * concurrent major Axis I disorders including substance use disorders, aside from anxiety disorders or depressive disorders, as these comorbidities are very common and the sample would otherwise be non-representative; however BDD must be the primary diagnosis. * lifetime: bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder. * psychotropic medications, aside from a short half-life sedative/hypnotic for insomnia, or a short half-life benzodiazepine as needed for anxiety but not exceeding a frequency of 3 doses in one week and not to be taken on the days of the training or MRI scan * current cognitive-behavioral therapy Exclusion: Subclinical body dysmorphic disorder: Exclusion * meet full DSM-5 criteria for Body Dysmorphic Disorder * current Axis I disorders including substance use disorders * lifetime: bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder * psychotropic medications, aside from a short half-life sedative/hypnotic for insomnia, or a short half-life benzodiazepine as needed for anxiety but not exceeding a frequency of 3 doses in one week and not to be taken on the days of the training or MRI scan * current cognitive-behavioral therapy Exclusion Criteria: Healthy Controls: Exclusion * Any current Axis I disorder * lifetime: bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder * Psychiatric medication Exclusion Criteria: All participants: Exclusion * Neurological disorder * Pregnancy * Current major medical disorders that may affect cerebral metabolism such as diabetes or thyroid disorders - Current risk of suicide with a plan and intent * Ferromagnetic metal implantations or devices (electronic implants or devices, infusion pumps, aneurysm clips, metal fragments or foreign bodies, metal prostheses, joints, rods or plates) * Visual acuity worse than 20/35 for each eye as determined by Snellen close vision acuity chart (vision will be tested with corrective lenses if participant uses them).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
RECRUITINGToronto, Ontario, M6J 1H3, Canada
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Everyday therapists? study tests Non-Licensed CBT in hospitals
- Brain scans may reveal why some people Don't get better with talk therapy