NCT05735860

The Application of Virtual Reality Exposure Versus Relaxation Training in Music Performance Anxiety

Die Nutzung Virtueller Realität Zur Behandlung Von Auftrittsangst

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 46 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Wuerzburg University Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of exposure treatment using virtual reality (VR) in musicians with performance anxiety compared to a relaxation technique on anxiety symptoms and corresponding cardiovascular parameters. The prospective, randomized clinical trial will include 46 musicians with musical performance anxiety (MPA). The experimental group will receive four exposure sessions in VR and the control group will receive four progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) sessions. Anxiety symptoms will be measured using a german version of the Performance Anxiety Questionnaire and a behavioral assessment test (BAT) before, after the treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. The cardiovascular reactivity will be assessed measuring the heart rate variability (HRV) throughout the BAT and the blood pressure before and after the BAT. Furthermore, blood and saliva samples will be collected before and after the BAT to assess endocrine stress parameters and epigenetic markers. The following hypotheses are derived: 1) Significant and lasting reduction of subjective MPA symptoms for the experimental group receiving VRET at T1 (post/ shortly after treatment) and T2 (follow-up/ 6 months after treatment) compared to T0 (pre/ before treatment). 2) Significant better reduction of subjective MPA symptoms for the experimental group receiving VRET compared to the control group receiving PMR at T1 (post/shortly after treatment) and T2 (follow-up/ 6 months after treatment) compared to T0 (pre/ before treatment). 3) The postulated effects in hypotheses 1 and 2 go along with a significantly higher HRV representing less cardiac stress during the BAT in case of a successful reduction of anxiety symptoms at T1 (post/ shortly after treatment) and T2 (follow-up/ 6 months after treatment) compared to T0 (pre/ before treatment).

Conditions

• Music Performance Anxiety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET)	Four VRET sessions of approx. one hour each session taking place in an individual setting accompanied by a therapist. The participants wear a head-mounted display showing different musical performance scenarios (i.e. audition in a concert hall/ recording studio/ in front of a professional jury/ an audience/ a class of music students) that are selected individually by a previously standardized, graded exposure procedure.
BEHAVIORAL	Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)	Four PMR sessions of approx. 45min each session taking place in an individual setting accompanied by a therapist. The sessions follow a previously standardized procedure.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-01-11
• Primary completion: 2024-03-01
• Completion: 2024-03-01
• First posted: 2023-02-21
• Last updated: 2023-02-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany