Study of Patients With Body Image Issues Treated With 2 Different Behavioral Interventions
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT01316627. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
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Official title
Crooked Mirror Externalization Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a disabling condition that until recently has been largely ignored. Sufferers of BDD worry excessively and unreasonably about some flaw in their appearance that may be minimal or even nonexistent. These internalized body image distortions prompt sufferers to constantly check the perceived defects in mirrors, seek reassurance of their images from others, obtain unnecessary cosmetic and/or dermatological procedures, and even conduct self-surgeries. These obsessive concerns and compulsive behaviors cause significant emotional distress and often significantly interfere with global functioning. Currently, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with psychopharmacology is the preferred treatment for BDD. In addition, two relatively new exposure techniques ("mirror retraining method" and "crooked mirror externalization therapy") that utilize mirrors to exaggerate the patient's imagined defect appear to increase the benefits of CBT. However, the treatment efficacies of these relatively novel methods have not been rigorously tested or methodologically compared. Although six out of seven patients treated with crooked mirror externalization therapy at the Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders, Inc. demonstrated significant gains, the small sample size does not allow for any significant generalizations. Thus, the goals of this project are: 1) to determine the efficacy of exposure therapy that utilizes mirrors in the treatment of BDD, and 2) to evaluate the level of effectiveness of the mirror retraining method versus the crooked mirror externalization therapy. To accomplish these goals, each subject taking part in the study will do the following. They will go through an in-depth interview with the study physician, Dr. Kagan, and complete several clinical assessment questionnaires to confirm that they have BDD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). They will be assessed by the study independent evaluator and complete several paper-and-pencil tests to determine the severity of the BDD and if they have any cognitive difficulties. The subject will participate in 3 weeks of CBT with either the mirror retraining method or the crooked mirror externalization therapy. After the CBT, we will repeat the clinical assessment questionnaires and neurocognitive testing. From the difference between the before and after scores on all these tests, we will determine if there has been any change in the subject's BDD symptoms, and if so, the level of effectiveness between the mirror retraining method and the crooked mirror externalization therapy.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT01316627
- Recruitment status
- Not listed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Enrollment
- 20 participants
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Interventions
- Crooked Mirror Externalization Therapy Behavioral
- Mirror Retraining Method Behavioral
Behavioral
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 18 Years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Healthy volunteers not accepted
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Mar 31, 2007
- Primary completion
- Nov 30, 2014
- Completion
- Not listed
- Last update posted
- Mar 15, 2011
Started 2007
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 1
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 1
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders, Inc. | Los Angeles | California | 90024 | Recruiting |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT01316627, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Mar 15, 2011 · Synced Sep 5, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT01316627 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.