NCT01570400

Treatment of Social Phobia With Combined Cognitive Bias Modification and iCBT

Reduction of Social Phobia Symptoms With Combined Internet-Based Cognitive Bias Modification and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 133 (actual)
• Sponsor: Umeå University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an internet-based treatment program, consisting of combined cognitive bias modification and cognitive behavioral therapy, reduces symptoms of social phobia among a population diagnosed with this disorder.

Detailed description

Previous studies have shown that individuals with social phobia have attention biases, often focusing on or avoiding aversive stimuli (such as judging facial expressions) and thereby reinforcing the bias. Computerized training programs have been developed to implicitly direct the users attention. In this study, such a program -- combined with an established, well-researched and proven effective form of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) -- will be provided to 128 participants that meet the diagnostic criteria for social phobia, and the pre/post-measurements will be compared. Participants will be randomized to one of two groups, receiving one of two variants of the cognitive bias modification program (both receive iCBT).

Conditions

• Social Phobia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Internet-administered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT)	Established form of internet-administered cognitive behavioral therapy. Controlled progress, self-help modules with psychoeducative texts, assignments and homework. Therapist assisted.
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive bias modification training program variant 1	Computerized, internet-based training program for implicit modification of cognitive bias of attention, variant 4. Participant is exposed to a pair of words or a pair of faces -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words or faces and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 96 word pairs and 96 face pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe always follows the more negative word or face. Duration: approx. 10 min. per session. Frequency: Once every day for 2 weeks.
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive bias modification training program variant 2	Computerized, internet-based control training program, variant 2. Participant is exposed to a pair of words or a pair of faces -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words or faces and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 96 word pairs and 96 face pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe follows the more positive stimulus and the more negative stimulus with equal frequency. Duration: approx. 10 min. per session. Frequency: Once every day for 2 weeks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-09-01
• Primary completion: 2014-09-01
• Completion: 2014-12-01
• First posted: 2012-04-04
• Last updated: 2016-11-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden