Clinical trial NCT02905279: Spider Phobia Opposite Action Treatment Study
Official title: Enhancing Exposure Therapy for Spider Phobia With the Use of Threat-Relevant and Threat-Irrelevant Opposite Actions
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Specific Phobia
Keywords: spider phobia
animal phobia
exposure therapy
biofeedback
relaxation training
Lead sponsor: University of Texas at Austin
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2016-09-19
Enrollment: 44
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study tests the effectiveness of exposure therapy for fear of spiders as enhanced by the use of antagonistic or opposite actions during treatment. The goal of the study is to compare the efficacy threat-relevant opposite actions and threat-irrelevant opposite actions in extinguishing fear.

Detailed description: This study tests whether exposure therapy for fear of spiders can be enhanced with the use of opposite actions, which are actions opposite to fear-related action tendencies. The investigators will test two sub-types of opposite actions (a) threat-relevant opposite actions, which are actions antagonistic to specific threats associated with spider phobia, and (b) threat-irrelevant opposite actions, which are actions antagonistic to the fear response, but unrelated to specific threats associated with spider phobia. This exposure therapy enhanced with opposite actions will be compared with two control groups: standard exposure therapy and non-specific anxiety treatment (biofeedback relaxation training).

Individuals between the ages of 18-65 with elevated fear of spiders are randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions (1) biofeedback relaxation training, (2) standard exposure therapy, (3) exposure therapy with threat-relevant opposite actions, and (4) exposure therapy with threat-irrelevant opposite actions. All participants undergo an online prescreen and a face-to-face screening assessment to determine eligibility and baseline (pre-treatment) symptom severity. Participants additionally complete assessments directly after treatment (post-treatment), and approximately two weeks after treatment (follow-up). The pre-treatment assessment occurs on the same day as treatment, the post-treatment assessment occurs during the treatment visit as soon as the treatment procedure is complete, and the follow-up assessment occurs within a window of 14-21 days after the completion of treatment. Participants complete two behavioral approach tests (in the treatment context and in the generalization context) at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up. Participants complete a battery of self-report questionnaires at pre-treatment and follow-up.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* At Prescreen:

  * Total score of greater than or equal to 70 on the Fear of Spiders - Questionnaire (with higher scores indicating higher fear levels).
  * Indicates ongoing fear of spiders and inability to complete close approach towards spiders on brief questionnaire.
* At Screening visit: inability to complete close approach toward spiders as determined by the treatment context and generalization context Behavioral Approach Tests

Exclusion Criteria:

* Currently receiving psychotherapy for spider phobia

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Performance on a Behavioral Approach Test in a Generalization Context (Pre-treatment to 2-week Follow-Up)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to follow-up (window of 14-21 days after treatment)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in Performance on a Behavioral Approach Test in a Generalization Context (Pre-treatment to Post-treatment)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to post-treatment (within 30 minutes of completion of the treatment procedure)
measure: Change in Performance on a Behavioral Approach Test in the Treatment Context (Pre-treatment to 2-week Follow-Up)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to follow-up (window of 14-21 days after treatment)
measure: Change in Performance on a Behavioral Approach Test in the Treatment Context (Pre-treatment to Post-treatment)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to post-treatment (within 30 minutes of completion of the treatment procedure)
measure: Change in Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (Pre-treatment to 2-week Follow-Up)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to follow-up (window of 14-21 days after treatment)
measure: Change in Armfield and Mattiske Disgust Questionnaire (Pre-treatment to 2-week Follow-Up)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to follow-up (window of 14-21 days after treatment)
measure: Change in Spider Belief Questionnaire from pre-treatment to follow-up (Pre-treatment to 2-Week Follow-Up)
timeFrame: Change from pre-treatment (same day as treatment) to follow-up (window of 14-21 days after treatment)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Austin
country: United States
facility: Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders, University of Texas at Austin
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin
name: Michael J Telch, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: