Research Studies
If interested, please call 310-794-1038.

Namenda (Memantine HCl) in the treatment of OCD.
The Namenda study involves 6 visits over a 12 week period. The first 5 visits occur every other week and the final visit occurs one month thereafter. Namenda is dispensed at Visit 1 and increased by 5mg/day in divided doses to a dose of 20mg/day (10 mg twice a day). Compensation is $15/visit and parking vouchers will be provided.

rTMS in the Treatment of GAD
The rTMS procedures involves seven visits. The first visit is a screening visit and involves an fMRI procedure. The remaining 6 visits occur two times a week for three weeks and involve the actual rTMS procedure. The total amount of time you spend on the procedures will be from two to four hours (one to two hours per session). Compensation is $50 for the fMRI with the possibility of earning up to $100.

Treatment Response in OCD to Sertraline and Aripiprazole as Compared to Sertraline and Placebo
The purpose of the study is to understand if the combination of an SSRI and an atypical neuroleptic, started at the same time, will achieve a greater or more rapid reduction of symptoms in people with OCD, as compared to the current standard of care. Participants in this study will randomly be assigned to receive sertraline (Zoloft) plus placebo ("sugar pill") or sertraline plus aripiprazole (Abilify) for 18 weeks. Participants will be evaluated every 2 weeks, and doses will be increased as tolerated and as needed. After the 18 weeks subjects will be assisted in continuing their treatment if effective, or finding other forms of treatment. Participants will be reimbursed for parking and will receive compensation for their participation. If interested, please call 310-794-1038.

OCD Extinction Study
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the optimal method by which exposure therapy is conducted for obsessive compulsive disorder and includes the use of a new drug that has been considered to be effective in enhancing learning, D-cycloserine. Participants for this study have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with fears of contamination and will receive a free research evaluation of their OCD. Participation involves 7 study visits (3 of which are for exposure therapy in which participants are encouraged to repeatedly face feared objects or situations). The other visits are for assessment purposes, pre-treatment, post-treatment and follow-up. There is no compensation for this study and parking is not reimbursed. If interested, please call 310-794-1038.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) fMRI Study
Individuals with BDD are preoccupied with some aspect(s) of their appearance that they believe are defective, causing extreme distress and/or interfering with their functioning. They may have distortions in their perception of their appearance, as they seem to selectively perceive small details of their “defects.” In this study we are using a type of brain scan called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine which regions of the brain are active while processing visual information. The study will consist of two visits: an evaluation and an fMRI brain scan. Participants will be compensated $50 for the fMRI and will be reimbursed for parking.
Please call 310 206-4951 or 310 794-1038 if you are interested.