Overview
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Tic Disorders frequently co-occur, and a subgroup of patients - those with a Tourettic Subtype of OCD (TOCD) - present with symptoms of both conditions simultaneously. Standard interventions typically address one condition or the other, but rarely both together. This study aims to test whether a combined psychological therapy integrating Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Habit Reversal (HbRT) is more effective at reducing symptoms than either therapy delivered alone, in adults with TOCD.
Description
Participants are randomly allocated to one of four groups: (1) combined ERP and HbRT, (2) ERP alone, (3) HbRT alone, or (4) a supportive psychoeducation control. All participants receive 12 weekly one-to-one sessions (either in-person or remotely) of approximately fifty minutes. Symptoms (as measured by the YGTSS and YBOCS) are assessed by an independent clinician at the start of treatment, at week-12, and again at week-24.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age \> 18 years.
- Either Gender
- Confirmation of a primary diagnosis of either:
- Tourette's Disorder (DSM-5 307.23 F95.2) b. Persistent Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder (DSM-5 307.22 F95.1) c. Provisional Tic Disorder (DSM-5 307.21 F95.0) d. Other Specified Tic Disorder (DSM-5 307.20 F95.8) e. Unspecified Tic Disorder (DSM-5 307.20 F95.9) f. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (DSM-5 300.3 F42.2) \[d\] Medication use is not an exclusion criterion (type of medication and daily dosages are to remain unchanged throughout the trial intervention period) \[e\] Ability to provide sustained informed consent \[f\] A minimum score of 16 on YBOCS \[g\] A minimum score of 5 on the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Substance misuse (DSM 483)
- Adult personality disorder (DSM 645) (301.0 - 301.9)
- Schizophrenia (DSM 297.1 - 298.9)
- Bipolar disorder (DSM 296.89 - 296.80)
- Contraindications to participation in a trial (i.e., active suicidal ideations and/or requirement of an interpreter)
- Other diagnostic contraindication(s)


