D-cycloserine Augmented Treatment for Youth With Tic Disorders
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This pilot study aims evaluate the feasibility and initial efficacy of behavior therapy
augmented by d-cycloserine (DCS) compared to behavior therapy augmented by placebo. After an
initial assessment to determine eligibility, youth with TD will be randomly assigned to
receive four sessions of behavior therapy augmented by either DCS or placebo. D-cycloserine
is an FDA-approved antibiotic medication that has been shown to enhance extinction learning
in several studies. The investigators' proof-of-concept work has found that a single session
of DCS-augmented behavior therapy reduced the severity of tics targeted in treatment on the
Hopkins Motor/Vocal Tic Scale (HM/VTS) compared to placebo-augmented behavior therapy. This
highlights the exciting potential of combining DCS with behavior therapy to improve
reductions in tic severity. However, prior to a large-scale clinical trial, it is essential
to determine the feasibility and efficacy of augmenting behavior therapy with DCS over
multiple treatment sessions.