Clinical Trial: Enhancing Attention in Adults With Compulsive Hoarding

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Enhancing Attention in Adults With Compulsive Hoarding: A Pilot Study

Brief Summary: Available data suggest that compulsive hoarders have cognitive deficits, particularly with sustaining attention that might contribute their hoarding symptoms.

Detailed Summary:

Compulsive hoarders perform significantly worse than healthy controls on standard attention tasks. These data suggest that the inability to sustain focus may interfere with hoarders' ability to organize, categorize and make decisions about discarding possessions. Stimulants are first-line treatments for ADHD, improve CPT performance in people with ADHD and enhance school performance in children with ADHD. Extended release formulations, such as methylphenidate ER, are associated with better medication compliance. Together, these data suggest that adjunctive methylphenidate ER might be a novel way to improve attention in compulsive hoarders which might improve hoarding symptoms.

The investigators hypothesis is that adjunctive methylphenidate ER will improve attention in compulsive hoarders aged 18-55. The investigators will also explore the safety of methylphenidate ER administration in compulsive hoarders.


Sponsor: New York State Psychiatric Institute

Current Primary Outcome: Number of Patients Who Met and Exceeded Response Criteria of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptom Scale [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]

Patients given Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptom Scale (ADHDSS), a measure of the features of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This scale has shown excellent reliability in prior studies of individuals with HD. For the ADHDSS the minimum units are 0 and Maximum units on the total scale are 54 (adult). The higher the number on the ADHDSS, the more severe the symptoms. Response was defined as at least a 30% reduction on the ADHDSS.


Original Primary Outcome: improvement on attention as measured by the ADHDSS (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Symptom Scale) [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]

Current Secondary Outcome: Number of Patients Who Met Response Criteria for the Saving Inventory-Revised. [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]

Patients given Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R), an evidence-based measure of three features of hoarding: excessive acquisition, difficulty discarding, and clutter. For the SI-R the minimum units are 0 and Maximum units on the total scale are 92. The higher the number on the SI-R, the more severe the symptoms. Response was defined as at least a 25% reduction on the SI-R.


Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: New York State Psychiatric Institute

Dates:
Date Received: April 5, 2010
Date Started: April 2010
Date Completion:
Last Updated: September 10, 2014
Last Verified: August 2014