tDCS-Augmented Exposure Therapy for Pathological Fear

December 4, 2020 updated by: Michael J. Telch, University of Texas at Austin
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.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

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.

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 (Actual)

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.
49

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.
  • Not Applicable

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
    • Texas
      • Austin, Texas, United States, 78712
        • Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders

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 to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 18-65.
  2. Fluent in English.
  3. A score on at least 1 fear domain-specific prescreen measure > 2 SDs above the subject pool prescreen mean. These measures include (a) FSQ, and (b) OCI-R.
  4. Peak fear ≥ 50 on BATs 1 and 2.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Currently receiving treatment for the primary fear domain (based on clinical interview).
  2. Unstable dose of psychotropic medications within 6 weeks prior to baseline assessment (based on the DMQ; see measures).
  3. Medical condition that would contraindicate participation in treatment or assessment activities (e.g., cardiovascular problems; based on the DMQ; see measures).
  4. Pregnancy (based on the DMQ; see measures).
  5. Current major depressive disorder (based on MINI; see measures).
  6. Current, or history of bipolar disorder (based on MINI; see measures).
  7. Current, or history of psychotic symptoms (based on MINI; see measures).
  8. Serious suicidal risk, as determined by self-report (C-SSRS, BDI-II) and clinical interview (MINI; see measures).
  9. Active neurological conditions, including seizures, stroke, unexplained loss of consciousness or concussion (based on DMQ and tDCS Safety Screening Form; see measures)
  10. Contraindications for tDCS: Metal in the head or implanted brain medical devices.

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: Quadruple

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.
Active Comparator: Active tDCS + In Vivo Exposure
Participants assigned to this condition will receive excitatory transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left medial prefrontal cortex (lmPFC) and inhibitory tDCS of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rdlPFC). tDCS will be administered for 20 minutes at 1.7 mA, followed by 30 minutes of in vivo exposure therapy.
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
Sham Comparator: sham tDCS + In Vivo Exposure
Participants assigned to this condition will receive sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which will consist of 30 seconds of stimulation at the beginning and end of tDCS administration. Electrode positioning will be counterbalanced across participants (i.e., either mPFC+ or mPFC-, with same electrode positioning as the active comparators). Sham tDCS will be administered for 20 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of in vivo exposure therapy.
Behavioral: In vivo exposure therapy
Participants will receive 30 minutes of in vivo exposure to feared targets following either active or sham tDCS

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
Change in peak fear during two behavioral approach tasks across time-points.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Subjective units of distress from 0 = no fear, to 100 = extreme fear
Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Change in approach level during two behavioral approach tasks across time points.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Highest difficulty level achieved from 0 = least challenging to 10 = most challenging.
Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)

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
Change in arachnophobia symptom severity across time-points
Time Frame: Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Total score on the Fear of Spiders Questionnaire
Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Change in ophidophobia symptom severity across time-points
Time Frame: Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Total score on the Fear of Snakes Questionnaire
Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Change in germaphobia / contamination fear symptom severity across time points.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Total score on the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory - Revised.
Pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment (1 week later), and follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Threat vigilance task
Time Frame: Before and after tDCS administration (1 week after baseline)
Computer-based task that assesses attention biases towards and away from threatening images.
Before and after tDCS administration (1 week after baseline)
Visuospatial working memory task
Time Frame: Before and after tDCS administration (1 week after baseline)
Delayed match to sample task assessing recognition of 4 x 4 arrays of colored blocks, after a brief delay.
Before and after tDCS administration (1 week after baseline)
Incidental contextual memory task
Time Frame: Stimulus presented during in vivo exposure (1 week after baseline), and memory assessed at follow-up (1 month after treatment)
Assessment of incidental memory for a 4 x 4 array of line drawings from the Test of Memory Malingering, presented in the treatment context only during in vivo exposure.
Stimulus presented during in vivo exposure (1 week after baseline), and memory assessed at follow-up (1 month after treatment)

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 Texas at Austin

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: Adam R. Cobb, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
  • Study Director: Michael J. Telch, PhD, The University of Texas at Austin

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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 (Actual)

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, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
September 6, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
September 6, 2018

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).
March 20, 2017

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.
March 23, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

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.
March 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
December 8, 2020

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.
December 4, 2020

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.
December 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • 2016-02-0024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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