RECRUITING

tDCS and Urge in BFRBs

Description

The goal of this study is to find out if brain stimulation can help people stop skin-picking or nail-biting. The study wants to answer two main questions: 1. Does brain stimulation reduce the urge to pick skin or bite nails after those urges are triggered? 2. Does brain stimulation reduce how often people pick their skin or bite their nails? Participants will: * Talk about their skin-picking, nail-biting, and other mental health concerns * Be placed in situations that make them want to pick or bite * Rate how strong their urges are before and after brain stimulation Researchers will compare real brain stimulation to a placebo (a fake version that looks the same but has no effect) to see if the real stimulation works to reduce skin-picking and nail-biting urges and behaviors.

Conditions

Repetitive Compulsive Behavior
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Related Conditions:

Repetitive Compulsive Behavior

Study Overview

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Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this study is to find out if brain stimulation can help people stop skin-picking or nail-biting. The study wants to answer two main questions: 1. Does brain stimulation reduce the urge to pick skin or bite nails after those urges are triggered? 2. Does brain stimulation reduce how often people pick their skin or bite their nails? Participants will: * Talk about their skin-picking, nail-biting, and other mental health concerns * Be placed in situations that make them want to pick or bite * Rate how strong their urges are before and after brain stimulation Researchers will compare real brain stimulation to a placebo (a fake version that looks the same but has no effect) to see if the real stimulation works to reduce skin-picking and nail-biting urges and behaviors.

Evaluating the Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Urge in Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

tDCS and Urge in BFRBs

Condition
Repetitive Compulsive Behavior
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Lexington

University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40506

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Ability to provide informed consent (as established by clinical interview), and voluntary, signed informed consent prior to the performance of any study specific
  • * Ability and willingness to perform study-relevant clinical assessments and tDCS
  • * Endorses mild to extreme intensity of urges to pick or bite their skin or nails
  • * Any unstable medical, psychiatric, or neurological condition (including active or otherwise problematic suicidality) that may necessitate urgent treatment
  • * Daily use of psychotropic medications that substantially lower seizure threshold (e.g., clozapine)
  • * History of psychosis, mania, major neurological disorder, significant head trauma, or seizures/epilepsy
  • * Current suicidal intent
  • * Any major neurological disease or history of major head trauma, including concussion with extended loss of consciousness, or of psychosurgery
  • * Current or suspected pregnancy
  • * Endorsing possible contraindications for tDCS

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Gopalkumar Rakesh,

Gopalkumar Rakesh, MD, STUDY_DIRECTOR, University of Kentucky

Study Record Dates

2026-05