NCT04162509

Efficacy of a Gamified Augmented Reality Exposure-based Application in Subjects With Fear of Spiders

Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of a Gamified Augmented Reality Exposure-based Application in Subjects With Fear of Spiders

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (actual)
• Sponsor: Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Investigation of the efficacy of a gamified augmented reality exposure app in individual with fear of spiders.

Detailed description

The study will be conducted as a randomized controlled between subject trial. The study consists of two visits and a home training for one group. 60 participants between 18 and 40 years with clinical or subclinical fear of spiders will take part in the study. All assessments of outcome will be conducted on one visit for each participant, including an in vivo BAT. The experimental group will participate in a home training with the app, spanning over two weeks (6x30-minutes sessions), whereas the control group will not receive any treatment (untreated comparison group). Six weeks after the first visit all participants undergo the assessments of outcome, including a second in vivo BAT. The BAT will take place 4 weeks after completion of the home training. This design allows a direct comparison and therefore an estimation of the efficacy of the gamified AR exposure therapy.

Conditions

• Fear of Spiders

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	AR app	Participants will be exposed to nine different AR spider scenarios with a pre-defined length of 2 minutes for each level. Each level starts with a surface scan of the environment and the placement of the AR spider model(s) by tapping on the display. Through small text pop-ups the user is instructed to perform different tasks (e.g. looking at the spider model, approaching it, holding the hand under the model). They proceed to further levels according to a predefined exposure scheme based on SUDS for fear (scale 0=no fear to 10=maximum fear) and disgust (scale 0=no disgust to 10=maximum disgust) and the assurance of the task completed (yes/no). Users will repeat each level until their SUDS are 4 or below and have completed the task. Each exposure session is limited to approx. 30 minutes (controlled by the participants) irrespective of achieved level.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-10-07
• Primary completion: 2019-12-04
• Completion: 2019-12-04
• First posted: 2019-11-14
• Last updated: 2019-12-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland