Mobile-Based Gamified Cognitive Bias Modification for Adults With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing Effects on OCD Symptoms and Related Cognitive Biases

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of a mobile-based gamified combined cognitive bias modification CBM-C intervention on adults diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD. The study aims to compare this gamified intervention with a standard CBM-C and a placebo control to see how they affect OCD symptoms, obsessive beliefs, cognitive biases, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress. This research is important as it explores a new digital approach to treating OCD, which may improve motivation and participation in therapy. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups a gamified CBM-C, a standard CBM-C, or a placebo control. Each intervention consists of eight sessions over four weeks, delivered twice weekly via a mobile phone app. The gamified CBM-C includes attention and interpretation bias tasks with game-like features to increase engagement, while the standard version has the same tasks without gamification. The placebo condition follows the same structure but lacks active bias modification components. During the study, participants will complete self-report assessments and behavioral tasks at the start, after the four-week intervention, and again at a three-month follow-up. Cognitive biases will be measured using tasks such as the dot-probe with eye-tracking and recognition scenarios. Researchers will track changes in OCD symptoms using several scales, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. This approach will help assess the interventions impact on symptoms, cognitive biases, and psychological distress over time.

Gamified Combined Cognitive Bias Modification in Adults Diagnosed With OCD: Randomized Controlled Trial