Computer-Based Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder

March 31, 2022 updated by: Franklin Schneier, New York State Psychiatric Institute

A Novel Computer-Based Treatment for Social Anxiety: Target Engagement

The present study is an open trial that seeks to examine the feasibility, acceptability, mechanism, and efficacy of a recently developed computer-based therapy in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD)

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This randomized clinical trial examines the feasibility, acceptability, mechanism, and relative efficacy of two "doses" (standard 4-week/8 session vs. extended 8-week/12-session) of a recently developed computer-based therapy 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, helps improve social anxiety symptoms, and by what mechanism. The study will also assess the effect of research treatments on brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

41

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

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Males and females between the ages of 18 and 60
  • Current 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 posttraumatic stress disorder, 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
  • 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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 4-week computer-based treatment
A 4-week (8-sessions) course of computer-based treatment. Participants will receive treatment twice a week for four weeks.
Behavioral: computer-based treatment
30 minute sessions of free viewing of faces and listening to music
Experimental: 8-week computer-based treatment
An 8-week (12-sessions) course of computer-based treatment. Participants will receive treatment twice a week for four weeks, and then once a week for the subsequent four weeks.
Behavioral: computer-based treatment
30 minute sessions of free viewing of faces and listening to music

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Percent Dwell Time on Threat Faces
Time Frame: baseline to week 8
Percent dwell time on threat faces was computed as the ratio of gaze dwell time on threat faces to total dwell time on all faces as measured by eye tracking during treatment sessions. Change in percent dwell time is the value at week 8 minus value at baseline.
baseline to week 8
Change in Total Score of Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)
Time Frame: Baseline to week 8
Clinician-rated scale scoring anxiety (0, none to 3, severe) and avoidance (0,none to 3, severe) in 24 social situations for a total score of 0 to 144. Higher scores indicate greater social anxiety.
Baseline to week 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Total Score of Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Time Frame: baseline to week 8
The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) is a self-rated questionnaire 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).
baseline to week 8
Change in Total Score of Quality of Life Enjoyment & Satisfaction Questionnaire
Time Frame: baseline to week 8
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.
baseline to week 8
Change in Total Score of the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale
Time Frame: baseline to week 8
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)
baseline to week 8
Change in Total Score of the Snaith Hamilton Pleasure Scale
Time Frame: baseline to week 8
Snaith Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). Fourteen-item self-rated anhedonia scale. Items are comprised of statements that participants rate 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)
baseline to week 8
Change in Total Score of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression - 17 Item Version
Time Frame: baseline to week 8
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).
baseline to week 8
Clinical Global Impression-Change Scale
Time Frame: week 8
Clinical Global Impression-Change Scale: An observer rating of overall clinical change, with rating from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse). Responder category is defined by a score of 1 or 2.
week 8

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

New York State Psychiatric Institute

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)

January 30, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 22, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 29, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

January 30, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 4, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 31, 2022

Last Verified

March 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • #7598

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data will be shared through the National Database for Clinical Trials related to Mental Illness (NDCT). We will generate a Global Unique Identifier (GUID) for each participant. The key clinical rating scale measures (LSAS, SPIN, QLESQ, HRSD) are all included.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Raw data will be submitted semi-annually every January 15 and July 15.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

see URL below for criteria

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • ANALYTIC_CODE

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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