Clinical trial NCT04737915: Virtual Reality Exposure Versus In Vivo Exposure for Fear of Heights
Official title: Comparing the Efficacy of a Single-Session Virtual Reality Treatment for Fear of Heights to In Vivo Exposure and No Treatment
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Fear of Heights
Acrophobia
Specific Phobia
Anxiety Disorder
Lead sponsor: University of Notre Dame
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-02-04
Enrollment: 114
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a) single session virtual reality exposure; b) single session in vivo exposure; c) waitlist control
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study randomly assigned 114 participants with significant fear of heights to one of three conditions: a) a single session of virtual reality exposure; b) a single session of in vivo exposure; or c) a control condition. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of virtual reality exposure to the efficacy of in vivo exposure or no exposure for participants with significant fear of heights.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Score \>= 45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Already receiving therapy specifically for fear of heights.
* Has any contraindications to using a virtual reality headset.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Scores)
measure: Behavioral Approach Task (BAT)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Scores)
measure: Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Scores)
measure: Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)
timeFrame: 1-Week Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Scores)
measure: Behavioral Approach Task (BAT)
timeFrame: 1-Week Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Scores)
measure: Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)
timeFrame: 1-Week Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Scores)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
measure: Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment
measure: Affective Control Scale (ACS) - Anxiety Subscale
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment
measure: High Place Phenomenon Index (HPPI)
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment
measure: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) - 8 item version
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment
measure: DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5) Severity Measure for Specific Phobia (Adapted for Acrophobia)
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment
Locations:
city: Notre Dame
country: United States
facility: University of Notre Dame
state: Indiana
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Notre Dame
name: Jennifer L Hames, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: