Virtual Reality-Reward Training for Anhedonia

NCT05342077 | Completed Phase 1

• 1 other identifier: Virtual Reality Training Study
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 59
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. VR-Reward Training is a novel intervention aimed at enhancing savoring of positive experiences among individuals with depression and low positive affect through guided imaginal recounting following immersion in positive VR experiences. Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomly assigned to 7 weeks of either Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) or Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT). Participants will complete in-person VR sessions, laboratory assessments, self-report questionnaires as part of the study. The total length of participation is around 3 months.

Conditions

Positive Affect; Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21)

  Reported symptoms of depression (score range: 0-21), anxiety (score range: 0-21), and stress (score range: 0-21), higher scores indicate higher severity and frequency.

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

• The Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS X) (General Dimensions Scales)

  Change in reported positive affect (general dimensions scale positive affect) and negative affect (general dimension scale negative affect) (score range for each scale: 10-50, higher scores represent higher levels of positive affect or negative affect).

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

• MASQ-AD 14 Item

  Change in reported anhedonia (score range: 14-70), with higher scores indicating greater anhedonic symptom severity

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Behavioral Activation Scale (BAS)

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

• Work and Social Functioning Scale (WSAS)

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

• Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS)

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

• Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS)

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

• Effort Reward Trade-off Task

  Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)

Study Arms (2)

Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT)

EXPERIMENTAL

7 sessions of positive VR immersion and positive memory specificity training exercises designed to savor rewarding features of immersion followed by memory specificity training exercises to savor rewarding features of autobiographical memory.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT)

Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

7 sessions of neutral VR immersion and neutral memory specificity training exercises, designed to train memory of objective non-emotional stimuli followed by memory exercises to neutral autobiographical memories.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)

Interventions

Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete verbal recounting (present-tense, field perspective, positive details) and guided imaginal recounting of positive details for rewarding VR experiences and positive autobiographical memories.

Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT)

Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete verbal recounting (past-tense, observer perspective, objective details) and guided imaginal recounting of neutral details for neutral VR experiences and neutral autobiographical memories.

Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• At least 18 years old
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Meet all of the following dimensional score cutoffs:
• Score on the DASS-21 depression subscale must be ≥ 11
• Score on the PANAS-P of 24 or lower
• Score on the SDS of ≥ 6
• Willingness to refrain from initiating other psychosocial treatments throughout the duration of the study

You may not qualify if:

• Lifetime history of bipolar disorder, psychosis, mental retardation, or organic brain damage
• Substance use disorder in the past 6 months
• Current use of psychotropic medications
• Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant
• Self-reported frequent motion sickness
• Self-reported seizures within the last year and/or a diagnosis of epilepsy

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Michelle G Craske, Ph.D

  University of California, Los Angeles

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 1
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 16, 2022
• First Posted: April 22, 2022
• Study Start: September 15, 2022
• Primary Completion: March 14, 2025
• Study Completion: March 14, 2025
• Last Updated: April 4, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)