Trial of Low-Dose Xenon For The Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Status:
Withdrawn
Trial end date:
2014-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The primary purpose of this study is to investigate whether administration of xenon reduces
symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Xenon is a naturally occurring gas that has
been used in clinical settings both as a general anesthetic agent and as a contrast agent for
computed tomography (CT) scans. Investigators believe that xenon may be effective in reducing
symptoms of OCD due to its ability to reduce the activity of a specific brain chemical called
glutamate, which has been shown to be abnormal in the brains of people with OCD.
It is important to understand that this study uses a placebo, or inactive, treatment. In this
study, the placebo treatment is inhalation of room air (instead of xenon). All participants
will receive both xenon and placebo treatments at some point over the course of the study.
However, neither the participants nor the study investigators will know which treatment you
are receiving.