Comparison of Methods for the Delivery of Interoceptive Exposure

January 26, 2012 updated by: Brett Deacon, University of Wyoming
This study compares the relative efficacy of three methods of delivering interoceptive exposure for the reduction of elevated anxiety sensitivity. The interventions vary according to their intensity and use of coping strategies during exposure. An expressive writing intervention serves as an expectancy control.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Cognitive-behavioral theories posit that panic attacks and panic disorder are the product of inaccurate beliefs about the dangerousness of arousal-related body sensations such as heart palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Individuals with panic disorder often misinterpret these anxiety symptoms as likely to lead to health catastrophes such as a heart attack, stroke, suffocation, or insanity. Effective psychological treatment aims to correct such misinterpretations by helping individuals learn that their anxiety-related body sensations are not dangerous.

One treatment procedure used to accomplish this goal is "interoceptive exposure," or the deliberate evocation of anxiety-related body sensations via exercises such as hyperventilation, spinning in a swivel chair, or running in place. By demonstrating that the experience of anxiety-related body sensations does not lead to physical catastrophes, interoceptive exposure exercises help individuals learn not to fear their own anxiety symptoms. Indeed, this procedure is considered an essential ingredient in evidence-based psychological treatment of panic disorder.

Despite the established therapeutic value of interoceptive exposure, little is known about how to optimally deliver this procedure. In the most clinically tested panic disorder treatment package, individuals engage in three, minute-long trials of interoceptive exposure exercises such as hyperventilation, with each trial followed by the use of diaphragmatic breathing and a rest period until all anxiety-related body sensations have subsided. However, there are theoretical reasons to question the effectiveness of this method. For example, encouraging individuals to use controlled breathing to "manage" their sensations appears incompatible with the notion that anxiety-related body sensations are harmless. Similarly, the instruction to wait until one's body sensations have subsided to begin the next interoceptive exposure trial suggests that intense body sensations are to be avoided. For these reasons, many practitioners conduct interoceptive exposure in a more intensive manner in which individuals experience feared body sensations in a prolonged fashion, without attempting to suppress or avoid them, until they learn that the sensations are harmless. Despite the theoretical appeal of this latter approach, no studies have examined the effects of delivering interoceptive exposure in this manner. Indeed, very little is known about the effects of different methods of delivering interoceptive exposure on fear of arousal-related body sensations. Accordingly, the present study aims to test the effectiveness of different methods of delivering interoceptive exposure with the goal of generating recommendations for the optimal treatment of panic disorder and other clinical problems associated with the fear of anxiety-related body sensations.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Wyoming
      • Laramie, Wyoming, United States, 82071
        • University of Wyoming

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Score > 21 on Anxiety Sensitivity Index - Revised Fear of Respiratory Symptoms Subscale.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Seizures
  • Hypertension
  • Heart problems
  • Pregnancy
  • Asthma
  • Other health conditions exacerbated by intense exercise.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Interoceptive exposure
Repeated trials of voluntary hyperventilation intended to reduce fears of arousal-related body sensations.
Behavioral: Standard exposure
Three 60-second trials of hyperventilation, each followed by diaphragmatic breathing, cognitive reappraisal, and prolonged rest until body sensations have subsided.
Behavioral: Enhanced exposure
Three 60-second trials of hyperventilation, each followed by a 15-second rest period and cognitive reappraisal.
Behavioral: Intensive exposure
Minimum of eight 60-second hyperventilation trials, each followed by 15-second rest period and cognitive reappraisal. Trials continue until participants rate the probability that their most feared outcome will occur as less than 5% on a 0% to 100% scale.
Placebo Comparator: Expressive writing
Expectancy control intervention.
Behavioral: Expressive writing
Individuals randomized to the expressive writing control group will receive a rationale for why writing about emotional issues helps resolve the fear of body sensations. These participants will then be asked to spend the next 25 minutes writing about past emotional issues. Participant writings are confidential and will not be viewed by the experimenter.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fear of Anxiety-Related Body Sensations
Time Frame: Immediately following the single-session intervention
Anxiety Sensitivity Index - Revised Concerns Subscale (12 items)
Immediately following the single-session intervention
Fear of Anxiety-Related Body Sensations
Time Frame: One week after single-session intervention
Anxiety Sensitivity Revised - Respiratory Concerns Subscale (12 items)
One week after single-session intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hypervigilance to anxiety-related body sensations
Time Frame: One week after the single-session intervention
Body Vigilance Scale (4 items)
One week after the single-session intervention
Beck Anxiety Inventory
Time Frame: One week after the single-session intervention
Beck Anxiety Inventory (21 items)
One week after the single-session intervention
Peak Anxiety During a Symptom Induction Task
Time Frame: Immediately following the single-session intervention
Peak anxiety ratings during prolonged straw breathing
Immediately following the single-session intervention
Peak Anxiety During a Symptom Induction Task
Time Frame: One week after the single-session intervention
Peak anxiety ratings during prolonged straw breathing
One week after the single-session intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Wyoming

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Brett Deacon, Ph.D., University of Wyoming

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2012

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 9, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 13, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 14, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 31, 2012

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 26, 2012

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IEstudyUW

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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