Clinical trial NCT03969160: Neural Activations During Imaginal Exposure in Individuals Fearful of Spiders
Official title: Neural Activations During Imaginal Exposure in Individuals Fearful of Spiders
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Individuals With Fear of Spiders
Keywords: Imaginal exposure
brain imaging
mental imagery
Lead sponsor: Uppsala University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2019-05-31
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: This study explores the brain basis of imaginal exposure, a widely used psychological treatment technique. Specifically, this study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain areas activated during imaginal exposure, in individuals fearful of spiders. Physiological responses and subjective fear experienced during imaginal exposure are also assessed.

The primary aim of this study is to explore differences in neural activity during exposure to phobic, compared to neutral, mental imagery. The study will focus primarily on exploratory whole brain analyses, but will also include regions of interest analyses on brain areas previously associated with imaginal exposure. The experimental procedure consists of repeated exposure to mental imagery, i.e. imagery of short durations, including either highly emotion-provoking or neutral content, prompted by verbal instructions. A secondary aim is to explore the effects of repeated exposure to mental imagery, used during the experimental procedure, on subjective fear and physiological responses.

Detailed description: Results will elucidate if neural activity to phobic imagery differs from activity associated with the production of mental imagery per se. Findings will also increase our general understanding of the neural basis of imaginal exposure treatments.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Significant fear of spiders

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current psychiatric disorder other than spider phobia
* Substance abuse
* Neurological disease
* Psychological treatment or psychotropic medication within six months
* Magnetic resonance imaging contradiction

Primary outcomes:
measure: Blood oxygen level dependent contrast (BOLD-signal)
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Physiological response during exposure to mental imagery
timeFrame: Day 1
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Physiological response during exposure to mental imagery
timeFrame: Follow-up (one week after day 1)
measure: Differences in physiological response during exposure to mental imagery, during day 1 compared to the follow-up session.
timeFrame: Difference between day 1 and the follow-up session (one week after day 1)
measure: Ratings of subjective fear participants' expect to experience during exposure to mental imagery
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Ratings of subjective fear experienced during exposure to mental imagery
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S)
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Differences in ratings of subjective fear during exposure to mental imagery, during day 1 compared to the follow-up session.
timeFrame: Difference between day 1 and the follow-up session (one week after day 1)
measure: Vividness of mental imagery
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Vividness of mental imagery
timeFrame: Follow-up (one week after day 1)
measure: Differences in vividness of mental imagery, during day 1 compared to the follow-up session.
timeFrame: Difference between day 1 and the follow-up session (one week after day 1)
measure: Difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS)
timeFrame: Day 1
Other outcomes:
measure: Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ)
timeFrame: Recruitment
measure: Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Number of intrusive mental imagery of phobic stimuli
timeFrame: 7 days, starting on day 1.
measure: Demand questions
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: The Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (Psi-Q)
timeFrame: Day 1
Locations:
city: Uppsala
country: Sweden
facility: Uppsala University Hospital - Akademiska sjukhuset
city: Uppsala
country: Sweden
facility: Uppsala University, Departement of Psychology
Study officials:
References: