Brain stimulation for urges in skin-picking and nail-biting.
Official title: Evaluating the Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Urge in Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
Run by University of Kentucky · NCT07019571 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will try transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to see if it reduces urges and how often people pick their skin or bite their nails.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 55 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Kentucky Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lexington, Kentucky) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 8, 2025 |
| Main results expected | May 2026 |
| Study ends | May 2026 |
| Registry record updated | July 23, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07019571 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults who experience mild to extreme urges to pick their skin or bite their nails, can provide informed consent, and can tolerate tDCS.
✕Probably not a fit
People with unstable medical or psychiatric conditions, a history of seizures or major neurological disease, current suicidal intent, pregnancy, or other contraindications to tDCS are excluded and would not be expected to benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants with recurrent skin-picking or nail-biting will be brought into the lab and exposed to cues and boredom tasks that trigger urges. They will receive either real wireless multichannel tDCS or a sham (placebo) device while rating urge intensity before and after stimulation. Researchers will compare changes in urge ratings and the occurrence of picking/biting between the real and sham groups. The protocol pairs noninvasive brain stimulation with behavioral provocation to measure immediate and short-term effects on urges and behaviors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this noninvasive approach could lower urge intensity and reduce how often people pick or bite, offering a new treatment option.
How similar studies have gone: Small prior studies of tDCS for compulsive behaviors and related disorders have shown mixed, preliminary results, so this approach remains experimental.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion 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 Exclusion Criteria: * 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
Where it's running
-
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Hannah Wild, M.S.
- Email: hannah.wild@uky.edu
- Phone: (859) 414-6962
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Impact of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on Pelvic Floor, Activity, and Gait in Female Runners
This study tests whether osteopathic manipulative treatment helps pelvic floor symptoms, daily activity, and running gait in healthy female runners.
-
Radon Risk Messages for Rural Homes
This study tests different radon risk messages to see if they make rural homeowners more likely to test or mitigate radon in their homes.
-
Concurrent Immunotherapy and SBRT for Stage IV Cancers
This trial tests whether giving stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) alongside approved immunotherapies can safely help control advanced cancers that have spread, while patients continue their planned treatments.
-
Textured insoles to help heel pain and balance in plantar fasciopathy
Researchers will test whether wearing textured insoles can improve walking balance and sensorimotor function in adults with plantar fasciopathy.
-
Quality Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening in Kentucky
This project tests how well the QUILS system helps Kentucky lung cancer screening programs work together to screen at-risk residents more effectively.
-
Statewide Lung Cancer Screening Improvement in Nevada and Mississippi using the QUILS System
This project tests whether a QUILS-based statewide initiative can expand and sustain high-quality lung cancer screening for people in Mississippi and Nevada.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.