Escitalopram for the Treatment of Self-Injurious Skin Picking

Completed · Phase 4

Conditions studied: Impulse Control Disorders

In brief

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of escitalopram in treating self-injurious skin picking.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00115011

Run by

Massachusetts General Hospital

People needed

30

Starts

2002-09-01

Expected to finish

2005-11-01

Last updated by the study team

2008-05-20

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Repetitive skin picking resulting in noticeable tissue damage and associated emotional distress and/or functional impairment.
• Age 18-65 years old.
• Duration of skin picking symptoms ≥ 6 months.
• MGH Skin Picking Scale score ≥ 10.
• Written informed consent.
• Females of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urinary beta-HCG test and be willing to use acceptable methods of birth control during study tenure.

You may not qualify if…

• Pregnant women or females of childbearing potential who do not consent to use of a medically acceptable method of contraception.
• Women who are breastfeeding.
• Subjects who pose a serious suicidal or homicidal risk in the judgment of study investigators.
• Serious or unstable medical illness including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurologic, or hematologic disease.
• Subjects with a dermatologic disorder that causes pruritis.
• Patients on anticoagulant therapy.
• History of seizure disorder.
• Comorbid bipolar disorder, psychosis, organic mental disorder, borderline personality disorder or developmental disorder. Subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder (with primary symptoms other than compulsive skin picking).
• History of substance dependence. If there is a history of substance abuse, subjects should be in remission for ≥ 6 months.
• Current treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy for skin picking.
• Current use of another SSRI medication.
• Other medications for medical disorders that might interfere with escitalopram.
• Current major depression or prescribed an antidepressant for major depression within the past 12 months.
• More than 1 adequate trial (at least 10 weeks at maximally tolerated dose) with another prior SSRI.

Where it is running

• Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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