A Novel Computer-Based Therapy for Social Anxiety

February 2, 2026 updated by: Franklin Schneier, New York State Psychiatric Institute
The present study is a double blind trial that seeks to examine the feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, and mechanism of a recently developed eye-tracking-based therapy (GC-MRT) in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD)

Study Overview

Status

Suspended

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The present study is a double blind trial that seeks to examine the feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, and mechanism of a recently developed eye-tracking-based therapy (GC-MRT) in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD). The purpose of this study is to assess whether a brief computer-based research treatment, provided in 30 minutes sessions twice a week for 4 weeks, helps improve social anxiety symptoms, and by what mechanism. The study will also assess the effect of research treatments on brain activity using a scan called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

Phase

  • 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
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • New York State Psychiatric Institute

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Males and females between the ages of 18 and 60
  • Current DSM-V primary diagnosis of SAD
  • Score of at least 50 on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (Self-rated version)
  • Fluent in English and willing and able to give informed written consent and participate responsibly in the protocol
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Present or past psychotic episode, psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder
  • Current severe depression
  • Suicidal ideation or behavior
  • Current diagnosis of PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, manic episode or tic disorder
  • Current or past organic mental disorder, seizure disorder, epilepsy or brain injury
  • Current unstable or untreated medical illness
  • Severe alcohol use disorder, severe cannabis use disorder, and any severity of other substance use disorder (except nicotine use disorders allowed)
  • Use of psychiatric medication in the past month other than a stable dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for a least 3 months
  • Any concurrent cognitive behavioral therapy; other psychotherapy that was initiated in the past 3 months
  • Pregnancy, or plans to become pregnant during the period of the study - will be assessed by Urine β-HCG
  • Contraindication to MRI scanning:
  • Paramagnetic metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging or any other non-removable paramagnetic metal in the body (e.g. pacemaker, paramagnetic metallic prosthesis, surgical clips, shrapnel, necessity for constant medicinal patch, some tattoos)
  • Being unable to tolerate the scanning procedures (i.e., severe obesity, claustrophobia)

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: GC-MRT
Group 1 will receive a 4-week (8-sessions) course of standard GC-MRT
Behavioral: GC-MRT
Group 1 will receive a 4-week (8-sessions) course of GC-MRT
Active Comparator: non-GC-MRT
Group 2 will receive a 4-week (8-sessions) course of non-GC-MRT
Behavioral: Non-GC-MRT
Group 2 will receive a 4-week (8-sessions) course of non-GC-MRT
Experimental: GC-MRT-modified
Group 3 will receive a 4-week (8-sessions) course of modified GC-MRT.
Behavioral: modified GC-MRT
group 3 will receive a 4-week (8-sessions) course of GC-MRT, modified

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Time Frame: 4 months
Total score of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
4 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Time Frame: 4 months
The Social Phobia Inventory (abbreviated as SPIN) is a self-rated questionnaire that will be used to assess severity of social anxiety Disorder. 17 items related to social anxiety each rated on a score of 0 to 4, with a minimum total score of 0 (least social anxiety), and a maximum total score of 68 (most social anxiety).
4 months
Quality of Life Enjoyment & Satisfaction Questionnaire
Time Frame: 4 months
Quality of Life Enjoyment & Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q): self-rated assessment of quality of life. 16 items related to life quality, each rated on a score of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good), with a minimum total score of 16, and a maximum total score of 80.
4 months
Revised Social Anhedonia Scale
Time Frame: 4 months
40-item self-rated social anhedonia scale. Items are comprised of statements that participants agree or disagree with, by answering "yes"(1), or "no"(0), with some items reverse-coded. The minimum score is 0 (least social anhedonia); maximum score is 40 (most social anhedonia).
4 months
Snaith Hamilton Pleasure Scale
Time Frame: 4 months
Snaith Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). Fourteen-item self-rated anhedonia scale. Items were comprised of statements that participants rated as "strongly disagree" (1), "disagree" (2), "agree" (3), or "strongly agree" (4). The lowest possible score was 14, the highest possible score was 56 (greatest anhedonia)
4 months
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression - 17 item version
Time Frame: 4 months
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression -17 item version. This standard scale will be used to assess severity of depression, minimum score is 0 (least depression); maximum score is 50 (greatest depression).
4 months
Clinical Global Impression-Change Scale
Time Frame: 4 months
Clinical Global Impression-Change Scale: A quickly administered and widely used observer rating, with rating from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse). Responder category is defined by a score of 1 or 2.
4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

New York State Psychiatric Institute

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Franklin Schneier, MD, NYSPI

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.

General Publications

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)

August 25, 2017

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 25, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 3, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

August 4, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 2, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 7527 (SAD)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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