Technology Assisted Treatment for Trichotillomania Open Trial

What this Trial Is About

This trial investigates the use of a digital awareness tool for adults with trichotillomania, a hair-pulling disorder. Designed as a single-arm feasibility study, it evaluates how a wrist-worn Keen2 awareness bracelet paired with a mobile app can help detect and manage hair-pulling behavior. The study aims to assess usability, adherence, and changes in hair-pulling severity over an eight-week period. Participants will wear the Keen2 bracelet for eight weeks. During the first four weeks, the device detects hair-pulling episodes, and participants log details like emotions, location, and activity after each event. In weeks five through eight, the system delivers personalized vibration alerts based on prior behavior to encourage strategies such as reducing environmental triggers, practicing competing hand movements, and using coping techniques. Throughout the study, participants will engage with the device and app daily, providing contextual data and responding to alerts. Researchers will measure changes in hair-pulling severity using the Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale and NIMH Trichotillomania Symptom Severity scores at baseline, week 4, and week 8, with follow-up at week 12. The study also examines participant feedback on device helpfulness and knowledge of intervention strategies to evaluate overall feasibility and behavioral impact.

Technology Assisted Treatment of Trichotillomania: Open Trial