The NExT banner with a green and pink brain, a University of Minnesota logo, and a Brown University logo.

NExT is a multisite trial of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for those ages 12-21 who experience symptoms of OCD. 

For more information please call 612-626-5550 or complete a study interest form.

What is the Goal of the NExt Study?

The NExt Study is a clinical trial for 12-21 year olds with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The goal of the study is to test whether we can help make Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) even more effective for people with OCD by combining it with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). ERP is a therapy that involves practicing confronting the thoughts, images, objects, and situations that make people anxious and cause obsessions. ERP is a recommended treatment for OCD, though only about 40% of people benefit from it. TMS is a tool that uses a magnet to temporarily change the flow of signals in the brain. For this study we are using TMS to target areas of the brain that are involved in OCD. Our research team hopes that the NExT Study will help improve treatment options for youth and young adults with OCD. 

Who can participate?


You may be eligible to participate–or your child may be eligible to participate– if you or your child: 

  • Is 12-21 years old
  • Has symptoms of OCD
  • Is right-handed 
    ​

Common OCD symptoms include: 

  • Thoughts that get “stuck” in your head
  • Feeling driven to do or repeat things such as tapping, checking, or hand-washing over and over
  • Fears of contamination, germs, or harm
  • Concerns related to perfectionism
  • Feeling that things are “not just right” unless they are done in a certain way

What Does the NExT Study Involve?    


Research participation includes 5 assessment visits, 12 daily treatment sessions (ERP and TMS), and 2 MRI visits. MRIs are pictures of the brain and are noninvasive and painless. Participants will be compensated for their time.

Full list of research study activities:

  • Clinical pre-assessment (~2.5 hour Zoom call, can be split into two visits)
  • Pre-treatment MRI scan (1.5 hour appointment)
  • Pre-treatment assessment (30 minute Zoom call)
  • 12 daily treatment sessions (TMS followed by 1 hour of ERP)
    • 1 hour and 30 minute sessions
    • The 1st and 12th sessions do not include TMS, they are an intro and conclusion to the ERP portion of the study
  • Post-treatment MRI scan (1.5 hours)
  • Post-assessment (Zoom)
  • 1-month follow-up (Zoom)

 

MRI machine in a room with designs on the walls and a light blue light on the ceiling

This is the MRI machine in our building. The light on the ceiling changes colors and you get to pick which color you want the light to be during your scan!