Hormone hacks: could your period make OCD therapy work better?
NCT ID NCT05359562
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study looks at whether giving exposure therapy for OCD at different times in a woman's menstrual cycle changes how well it works. Researchers will use brain scans to see if hormones affect the brain's fear network and OCD symptoms. The goal is to find the best time in the cycle for therapy, potentially making treatment more effective.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that timing OCD therapy with certain menstrual phases improves treatment outcomes, leading to more personalized care.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study with only 120 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The therapy itself is well-established, but hormonal effects on treatment response are still uncertain.
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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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 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
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 45 years
- 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: 1. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) Diagnosis of OCD; 2. Male and female subjects aged between 18- 45; 3. Women must be menstruating and regularly cycling 4. Ability to tolerate a treatment-free period; 5. No psychotropic medication in the past 12 weeks 6. At entry, at least moderate severity OCD 7. Willingness and ability to give written informed consent after full explanation of study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Use of birth control (oral contraception or IUD) that affects the menstrual cycle, or menopause. 2. Pregnancy. Women of childbearing potential will be required to sign a statement indicating their intention to avoid pregnancy during the study. 3. Neurologic or medical condition that would prevent safe participation in the full study protocol. 4. Any contradiction to magnetic resonance imaging (e.g., metallic implants or devices). 5. Comorbid psychiatric conditions that significantly elevate the risks associated with study participation or confound results. 6. Patients with prominent suicidal ideation or with a recent suicide attempt. 7. Current psychotherapy
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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
2 sites. 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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New York State Psychiatric Institute
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10032, United States
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University of Pennsylvania
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Sound waves to the brain: a new hope for Tough-to-Treat OCD?
- Retraining the brain: could a Thought-Focused app ease OCD?
- Could a single brain target treat depression, anxiety, and OCD at once?
- Morning light may ease OCD symptoms in night owls