Cannabinoid Medication for Adults With OCD

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this pilot research study is to test the effects of a medication called nabilone (Cesamet) in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants will receive either nabilone on its own, or nabilone in combination with a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) called exposure and response prevention (EX/RP). Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid and acts on the brain's "endocannabinoid system," which has been hypothesized to play a role in OCD. Nabilone is approved by the FDA for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It is not FDA-approved for treating OCD.

Clinical Trial Description

The two first-line treatments for OCD are a class of medications called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and a type of cognitive behavioral therapy called exposure and response prevention (EX/RP). But more than a third of patients with OCD do not respond to these treatments, and less then half become well. Thus, new treatment approaches are needed.

EX/RP is thought to involve fear extinction learning. Recent research suggests that modulators of the endocannabinoid system such as nabilone (a synthetic cannabinoid and agonist of the cannabinoid 1 receptor, CB1R) may enhance fear extinction learning and therefor could enhance EX/RP. However, nabilone could also work via modulating activity in cortico-striatal circuits, which contain high concentrations of CB1R, and thereby might reduce repetitive behaviors like compulsions seen in OCD.

To test both ideas, we will conduct a small pilot randomized trial to explore the effects of nabilone on its own for 4 weeks, vs. combined with EX/RP, in adult patients with OCD. This proof-of-concept study will investigate whether nabilone administration is feasible and well-tolerated in adult patients with OCD. The intent is to collect pilot data to support future grant applications. ;

Study Design

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Clinical Trial Details

NCT number	NCT02911324
Study type	Interventional
Source	New York State Psychiatric Institute
Contact
Status	Completed
Phase	Phase 1/Phase 2
Start date	September 2016
Completion date	January 2019

View Details

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