Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Mental Health
Date Submitted: Sep 6, 2020
Date Accepted: Nov 20, 2020
Comparing effectiveness between a mobile application program and traditional cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder
ABSTRACT
Background:
This study proposes a digital program for the treatment of mental illness that could increase motivation and learning outcomes for patients. Several studies already applied this method by using an exposure and response prevention inspired serious game to treat patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Objective:
We hypothesized that a mobile cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) program would be effective in treating OCD as much as a traditional offline CBT. In addition, the treatment efficacy in response to mobile CBT for OCD might be associated with increased brain activity within the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) tract.
Methods:
The digital CBT treatment program for OCD, OCfree, consists of 6 education sessions, 10 quests and 7 casual games. The information of 27 patients with OCD (15 offline CBT and 12 OCFree CBT) were gathered. During the 6-week intervention period, changes in the clinical symptoms and brain function activity were analyzed.
Results:
There was no significant difference in the change of OCD symptoms and depressive symptoms between the two groups. However, the OCfree group showed greater improvement in anxiety symptoms, compared to the offline CBT group. Both offline CBT and OCfree CBT increased the functional connectivity within the CSTC tract in all patients with OCD. However, CBT using OCfree showed greater changes in brain connectivity within the thalamus and insula, compared to offline CBT.
Conclusions:
The OC free, an OCD treatment App program was effective in the treatment of patients with OCD. The treatment effects of OCfree are associated with increased brain connectivity within the CSTC tract. Multi-sensory stimulation by education, quest, and games in OCfree increases the activity within the thalamus and insula in patients with OCD. Clinical Trial: Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0005374)
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