Cognitive Rehab and Exposure Treatment for Hoarding (CREST Trial)

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Overseen ByCatherine R Ayers, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May be covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?This trial tests two treatments for Veterans with hoarding disorder. One combines brain exercises with sorting tasks, and the other focuses on facing fears. The goal is to see which treatment better reduces symptoms and improves life quality.

Eligibility Criteria

Participant Groups

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Active Control

Group I: Cognitive Rehabilitation and Exposure/Sorting Treatment (CREST)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

Compensatory Cognitive Training (CCT) is a manualized, low-tech, cognitive training intervention designed to target cognitive impairments common in people with psychiatric illness. The CCT modules specifically selected for CREST map onto known areas of HD neurocognitive deficits or weakness and include training in prospective memory, prioritizing, problem solving, planning, and cognitive flexibility. Symptoms of acquiring and saving are themselves avoidance behaviors that are performed to avoid internal distress related to negative thoughts and emotions. Avoidance serves to reduce distress related to the beliefs regarding the necessity and utility of possessions. In the CREST condition, the second part and the majority of treatment is dedicated to exposure therapy (ET) for discarding and not acquiring while in the control condition, the entire treatment will consist of ET.

Group II: Exposure Therapy (ET)Active Control1 Intervention

The investigators propose to use a robust control condition, exposure therapy (ET), with the same frequency and amount of therapist contact as CREST. Twenty-six weekly, individual ET sessions (6 months) will be delivered. The control group will receive ET for all 26 sessions and no cognitive training. As in CREST, the ET sessions will be manualized and copies utilized during session by both the patient and therapist.