Behavioral therapy may beat medication for Hair-Pulling and Skin-Picking
NCT ID NCT05796752
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study compares two treatments for body-focused repetitive behaviors like hair-pulling (trichotillomania) and skin-picking disorder. 26 adults will first take memantine (a drug) for 8 weeks, then receive 8 weeks of behavioral therapy. Researchers want to see which approach reduces urges and behaviors more effectively.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Memantine (a cognition-enhancing drug) and Comprehensive Behavioral Therapy (ComB)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that behavioral therapy is more effective than medication for reducing hair-pulling and skin-picking urges and behaviors.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage crossover trial with only 26 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The study is not blinded, which can bias outcomes.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Chicago Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.