Zapping the brain to rewire OCD fear circuits

NCT ID NCT06834217

Recruiting now Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Yale University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study at Yale investigates how people with OCD process fear and safety signals in the brain. Researchers will use mild electrical stimulation (tDCS) to see if it can improve fear extinction learning, which is key to exposure therapy. 180 adults with OCD will undergo brain scans and skin conductance tests while learning to distinguish threatening from safe cues. The goal is to understand the brain circuits involved and whether tDCS can normalize them.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a non-invasive brain stimulation technique to enhance exposure therapy for OCD.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage mechanistic study, not a treatment trial. The results may not translate into a clinical therapy, and tDCS effects can be subtle or inconsistent.

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

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder obsessive-compulsive disorder psychiatric disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)

Contacts and locations

Locations

Temple Medical Center
RECRUITING

New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.