Attention Bias Modification Treatment (ABMT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) in Social Anxiety Disorder
Condition: Social Anxiety Disorder
MeSH terms: Anxiety Disorders; Phobia, Social
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This RCT examines the effectiveness of Attention Bias Modification Treatment (ABMT) as an
      augment to Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment (CBGT) for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) in
      adults. It is expected that ABMT vs. control training condition would achieve better
      therapeutic outcomes as indicated reduction in symptoms.

      Participants from three groups (estimated 40 patients) will be offered to participate in the
      study
    

Detailed description: 
      Outpatients seeking treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) at Geha anxiety-disorders
      clinic will be randomized into two groups (ABMT+CBGT; placebo control+CBGT). One group will
      undergo an Attention Bias Modification Treatment (ABMT) aimed at diverting attention away
      from socially-threatening stimuli. The second group will receive a placebo-control not
      designed to affect attention. Both groups will also undergo a standard Cognitive-Behavioral
      Group Treatment (CBGT) comprising 18 weekly sessions of 1.5-hr duration (along the lines of
      Heimberg, Juster, Hope & Mattia 1995 and Clark & Wells 1995). Symptoms and attention bias
      measures will be taken at three time points: Pre-treatment, Post-treatment,and at 3-month
      follow-up.

      The study includes the following steps: a) initial assessment of participants'
      psychopathology and symptom levels; b) attention bias measurement; c) 8 sessions of
      ABMT/placebo control delivered as part of the CBGT sessions; d) two booster ABMT/Placebo
      treatments will be delivered at sessions 13 and 16 of the CBGT protocol. e) post-treatment
      assessment will include symptom and attention bias assessments. Finally, f) a three-month
      follow up assessment.

      The goal of the study is to to test the effectiveness of ABMT as an add-on to established
      CBGT protocol for social anxiety disorder.
    

Intervention name(s): Active Attention Bias Modification Treatment; Placebo Attention Bias Modification Treatment
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Attention bias is modified using a dot-probe task. Each trial begins with a fixation cross presented in the center of the screen for 500 ms. Next, participants are presented with two stimuli depicting two faces of the same individual for 500 ms, either of two neutral faces or with one neutral face and one disgust face (i.e., the socially-threatening stimulus). Then, one of two optional probes appears in the location former occupied by one of the faces. Participants are instructed to discriminate as fast as possible between the two variants of the probe, without compromising accuracy, by pressing on two corresponding keys. The probe remains on the screen until the participant responds, after which the next trial commences. This protocol is designed to divert attention away from socially-threatening stimuli as in 80% of trials the probe appears in the location formerly occupied by the neutral face. The remaining 20% of trials include two neutral faces, with no predictive value; the Placebo ABMT is similar to the active ABMT except that this protocol is not designed to divert attention away from or toward socially-threatening stimuli as in 40% of trials the probe appears in the location formerly occupied by the neutral face and in 40% it appears in the location formally occupied by the threatening face. The remaining 20% of trials include two neutral faces
Other intervention name(s): Active ABMT; Placebo ABMT
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Social Anxiety; Attention Modification; Dot-Probe; GCBT