NCT03095482

tDCS-Augmented Exposure Therapy for Pathological Fear

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 49 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial aims to test whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to modulate fear extinction learning during exposure therapy for pathological fear, including fear of spiders, snakes, or germs / contamination. Participation takes place over three laboratory visits, including (1) a pre-treatment visit, (2) a treatment and post-treatment visit, and (3) a 1 month follow-up visit. During treatment, participants will receive either 20 minutes of active or sham tDCS, followed by 30 minutes of in vivo exposure therapy.

Detailed description

In a trans-diagnostic sample with marked pathological fear and behavioral avoidance, this study aims to: (1) evaluate whether excitatory tDCS of the mPFC and inhibitory tDCS of right dlPFC enhances exposure therapy relative to sham tDCS; (2) determine whether tDCS effects are moderated by baseline negative prognostic indicators; and (3) determine whether tDCS effects are mediated by pre-post changes in vigilance to threat, in-session fear reduction, and contextual memory for the exposure context. If successful, the project may discover a potentially effective exposure therapy augmentation, and may enhance knowledge of the behavioral, cognitive, affective, and neurobiological factors that moderate and mediate acute treatment response and maintenance of treatment gains. This knowledge may inform treatment development efforts for more debilitating forms of pathological fear.

Conditions

• Specific Phobias

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)	Participants will receive 20 minutes of either active or sham tDCS prior to in vivo exposure to feared targets.
BEHAVIORAL	In vivo exposure therapy	Participants will receive 30 minutes of in vivo exposure to feared targets following either active or sham tDCS

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-01-01
• Primary completion: 2018-09-06
• Completion: 2018-09-06
• First posted: 2017-03-29
• Last updated: 2020-12-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States