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Can talk therapy rewire the Brain's body image? a new trial investigates CBT for BDD

NCT ID NCT00106223

Symptom relief Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 02, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a specific type of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Participants receive 22 weekly one-on-one CBT sessions that teach them to challenge negative thoughts and behaviors about their appearance. The trial compares those who get therapy right away to those on a waiting list, measuring changes in BDD symptoms, mood, and quality of life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
What this could lead to
If effective, this CBT approach could provide a proven non-drug treatment option for people with body dysmorphic disorder.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 36 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy requires weekly sessions and may not work for all.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

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

36 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Apr 2004

Finished

Dec 2008

Lead sponsor

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

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show 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: * DSM-IV diagnosis of BDD for at least 6 months prior to study entry * Score higher than 23 on BDD Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale * Live within driving distance of Boston, MA or Providence, RI Exclusion Criteria: * Any psychiatric diagnoses other than BDD * Alcohol abuse or dependence within 3 months prior to study entry * Suicidal or homicidal * Psychotropic medication within 2 months prior to study entry

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

body dysmorphic disorder somatoform disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Body dysmorphic disorder Somatoform disorders

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • BDD Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital

    Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, United States

  • Body Image Program, Butler Hospital

    Providence, Rhode Island, 02906, United States

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