NCT06468878

Virtual Reality Intervention for Fear of Heights

The Influence of Music on Response to Virtual Reality-Based Exposure for Acrophobia

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 44 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.

Detailed description

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR. The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later. Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.

Conditions

• Acrophobia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction	VR exposure for acrophobia with background music.
BEHAVIORAL	Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction	VR exposure for acrophobia with no background music.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-07-08
• Primary completion: 2025-05-01
• Completion: 2025-05-01
• First posted: 2024-06-21
• Last updated: 2024-07-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States