NCT04225624Completed
Improving Attentional and Cognitive Control in the Psychological Treatment of Intrusive Thoughts
Targeting Attentional and Cognitive Control to Enhance the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Repetitive Negative Thinking
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 10 Mar 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The investigators are conducting this study to learn more about the cognitive and attentional processes among individuals with three types of repetitive negative thinking (RNT): mental rituals (as seen in obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD), worries (as seen in generalized anxiety disorder, GAD), and ruminations (as seen in major depressive disorder, MDD). Specifically, the investigators are studying whether psychological treatment can help people with RNT who have trouble stopping unwanted thoughts and shifting their attention.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 65 (actual)
- First submitted
- 7 Jan 2020
- Start date
- 30 Apr 2021
- Primary completion date
- 22 Jan 2025
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT04225624
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Participants enrolled: 65
- From 30 Apr 2021 to the primary completion date, 22 Jan 2025
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Unstable dose of psychotropic medications or recent discontinuation of psychotropic medication.
- Previous course of treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy and/or mindfulness/meditation for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or depression.
Other illness
- History of head injury or neurologic disease, mental retardation, or borderline intellectual functioning that would interfere with ability to participate in the study.
- Impaired (or uncorrected) vision, medical illness, or medical treatment that would interfere with participation.
- Lifetime psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder
- Substance or alcohol use disorder that would interfere with treatment.
- Current Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that would interfere with attentional tasks.
Other
- Active suicidal or homicidal ideation or any features requiring a higher level of care.
- Current psychotherapy or plans to initiate such treatment during the study.
Who the study is looking for
- Adults ages 18-60 years old
- Right-handed
- Living in Massachusetts
- Repetitive Negative Thinking (RNT) in the form of mental rituals, worries, and/or depressive ruminations is the primary reason for seeking treatment
- RNT significant enough to warrant intervention
- Fluent in English, willing to provide informed consent, and willing to comply with the study protocol
- Access to a device with an internet connection, camera, and microphone (e.g., computer, smart phone, tablet)
- Comfortable and capable of using a computer and completing reaction-time tasks
Age in the registry: 18 years to 60 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Hospital Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Boston | United States | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.