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.
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
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Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
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26 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women ages 18+ * Current DSM-5 diagnosis of trichotillomania (TTM) or skin picking disorder (SPD) * Ability to understand and sign the consent form * Stable dose of medications for at least the past 3 months Exclusion Criteria: * Unstable medical illness based on history or clinically significant abnormalities on baseline physical examination * Current pregnancy or lactation, or inadequate contraception in women of childbearing potential * Subjects considered an immediate suicide risk based on the Columbia Suicide Severity rating Scale (C-SSRS) * Past 12-month DSM-5 diagnosis of psychosis, bipolar disorder, mania, or a substance or alcohol use disorder * Illegal substance use based on urine toxicology screening * Previous treatment with memantine * Previous trial of ComB or similar BT protocol (e,g., habit reversal training) * Cognitive impairment that interferes with the capacity to understand and self-administer medication or provide written informed consent
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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.