Augmenting Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

NCT03917433 | Suspended

• 1 other identifier: 1345559-1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 128
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will examine whether tactile feedback and point-based rewards can be used to improve outcomes from virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia.

Conditions

Specific Phobia; Anxiety Disorders; Fear of Heights; Acrophobia

Keywords

exposure therapy; virtual reality; acrophobia; fear of heights

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Behavioral approach test (BAT)- generalization context

  Participants will walk up a staircase until they reach the highest level they can complete. During each BAT, we will assess fear response behaviorally (highest step reached up to 101 steps), physiologically (heart rate and electrodermal activity), and subjectively (self reported levels of anticipated and peak fear).

  Change from baseline to one-month follow-up

• Behavioral approach test (BAT) -treatment context

  Participants will stand on a plank in virtual reality and raise the plank until they reach the highest level they can complete. During each BAT, we will assess fear response behaviorally (highest step reached up to 70 steps), physiologically (heart rate and electrodermal activity), and subjectively (self reported levels of anticipated and peak fear).

  Change from baseline to one-month follow-up

• Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)

  Participants will complete the AQ, a 40-item questionnaire that assesses self-reported anxiety and avoidance related to acrophobia. Scores for each subscale are summed, and totals range from 0 to 120 for each subscale, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety or avoidance.

  Change from baseline to one-month follow-up

• Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)

  Participants will complete the HIQ, a 16-item questionnaire that assesses self-reported interpretations of an imagined experience of heights. Items are summed scored, and totals ranged from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater height fear-relevant interpretation bias.

  Change from baseline to one-month follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 - Specific Phobia Module

  Change from baseline to one-month follow-up

• Treatment Drop-out Questionnaire

  Post-treatment (about 1 week)

• Willingness to continue exposure therapy

  Post-treatment (about 1 week)

Study Arms (4)

Exposure with Tactile Feedback

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant completes virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia involving walking across a plank at higher and higher levels in a virtual city environment. In the real world, the participant walks across an actual wooden plank on the floor, which mirrors the plank in the virtual world.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; Behavioral: Tactile Feedback

Exposure with Point-based Rewards

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant completes virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia involving walking across a plank at higher and higher levels in a virtual city environment. The participant has the opportunity to pop balloons upon reaching the ends of the plank to gain points. Participant's popping instrument in the virtual world upgrades as more points are accumulated.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; Behavioral: Point-based Rewards

Exposure with Tactile Feedback and Point-based Rewards

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant completes virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia involving walking across a plank at higher and higher levels in a virtual city environment. In the real world, the participant walks across an actual wooden plank on the floor, which mirrors the plank in the virtual world. Also, the participant has the opportunity to pop balloons upon reaching the ends of the plank to gain points. Participant's popping instrument in the virtual world upgrades as more points are accumulated.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; Behavioral: Tactile Feedback; Behavioral: Point-based Rewards

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Alone

OTHER

Participant completes virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia involving walking across a plank at higher and higher levels in a virtual city environment.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Interventions

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Participant completes virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia involving walking across a plank at higher and higher levels in a virtual city environment.

Exposure with Point-based Rewards; Exposure with Tactile Feedback; Exposure with Tactile Feedback and Point-based Rewards; Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Alone

Tactile Feedback BEHAVIORAL

In the real world, the participant walks across an actual wooden plank on the floor, which mirrors the plank in the virtual world.

Exposure with Tactile Feedback; Exposure with Tactile Feedback and Point-based Rewards

Point-based Rewards BEHAVIORAL

Participant has the opportunity to pop balloons upon reaching the ends of the plank to gain points. Participant's popping instrument in the virtual world upgrades as more points are accumulated.

Exposure with Point-based Rewards; Exposure with Tactile Feedback and Point-based Rewards

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Fluent in English
• Indicates sufficient fear of heights based on responses (a) on a self-report questionnaire (the Acrophobia Questionnaire) administered at prescreening, and (b) on Behavioral Avoidance Tests administered at baseline.

You may not qualify if:

• Already receiving exposure therapy for height phobia

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nevada, Reno: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Nevada Reno

Reno, Nevada, 89557, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Phobia, Specific; Anxiety Disorders; Acrophobia

Interventions

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Desensitization, Psychologic; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to receive virtual reality exposure therapy with tactile feedback, point-based rewards, both tactile feedback and point-based rewards, or neither tactile feedback nor point-based rewards.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 11, 2019
• First Posted: April 17, 2019
• Study Start: April 10, 2019
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2023
• Study Completion: January 1, 2023
• Last Updated: May 18, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)