RecruitingNot Applicable

Basic and Applied Research on Extinction Bursts

United States40 participantsStarted 2023-07-07

Plain-language summary

Although highly effective, treatments like FCT include extinction, which can have adverse side effects. The extinction burst, an increase in the frequency or intensity of destructive behavior at the start of treatment, is the most common side effect of extinction, and can increase the risk of harm to the patient and others. The goal of the current study is to evaluate the prevalence of extinction bursts when various parameters of reinforcement (i.e., rate, magnitude, quality) are manipulated.

Who can participate

Age range3 Years – 17 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion criteria

✓. children aged 3 to 17;
✓. problem behavior that occurs at least 10 times a day, despite previous treatment;
✓. problem behavior maintained by social positive reinforcement;
✓. stable protective supports for self-injurious behavior (e.g., helmet) with no anticipated changes during enrollment;
✓. on a stable psychoactive drug regimen for at least 10 half-lives per drug or drug free;
✓. stable educational plan and placement with no anticipated changes during the child's treatment.

Exclusion criteria

✕. patients currently receiving 15 or more hours per week of treatment for their problem behavior;
✕. DSM-5 diagnosis of Rett syndrome or other degenerative conditions (e.g., inborn error of metabolism);
✕. a comorbid health condition or major mental disorder that would interfere with study participation;
✕. occurrence of self-injury during study assessments that presents a risk of serious or permanent harm (e.g., detached retinas) based on our routine clinical-risk assessment;
✕. patients requiring changes to protective supports for self-injury or drug treatment, but we will invite these patients to participate when protective supports and drug regimen are stable.

What they're measuring

Rate of destructive behavior

Timeframe: 5 years

Trial details

NCT IDNCT05925101

SponsorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2028-03-01

Contact for this trial

Wayne Fisher, PhD

8488008503 wayne.fisher@rutgers.edu

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Problem Behavior trials