Statistical Learning as a Predictor of Attention Bias Modification Outcome

Statistical Learning as a Predictor of Attention Bias Modification Outcome: a Preliminary Study Among Socially Anxious Patients

This study examines whether the ability to extract statistical properties from the environment among treatment-seeking patients with social anxiety disorder can predict therapeutic response to attention bias modification (ABM), namely, reduction in symptoms of social anxiety following ABM therapy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Social Anxiety Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: ABM

Detailed Description

All participants received 6 sessions of ABM therapy away from threat. At baseline participants also completed a gold standard statistical learning task aimed to assess participants' capacity for the extraction of statistical regularity from the environment. The aim of the study is to determine whether the basic ability to extract rules from the environment at baseline could predict clinical improvement of social anxiety symptoms.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Tel Aviv, Israel, 6997801
    • Tel Aviv University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• a signed consent form
• a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder
• an age of 18-65

Exclusion Criteria:

• any history or present diagnosis of psychosis
• high risk for harm to self or others
• concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorder, or bipolar disorder
• a diagnosis of a neurological disorder (i.e., epilepsy, brain injury)
• drug or alcohol misuse
• a pharmacological treatment that is not stabilized in the past 3 months
• any concurrent psychotherapy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ABM therapy; The attention bias modification treatment comprises of six computerized sessions, twice a week, in purpose of modulate biases in attention for threat stimuli.	Behavioral: ABM; Participants are trained with a dot-probe task including angry-neutral faces. In 80% of trials the probe appears in place of the neutral face, and in 20% of trials in place of the angry face.; Other Names: attention bias modification

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) - Diagnostic Interview scores	The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale is a clinician-rated inventory consisting of 24 items describing socially relevant situations. Each situation is rated in relation to the past week on two sub-scales ranging 0-3: level of fear and level of avoidance experienced in response to these situations. Item scores are summed to a total score ranging 0-144	1-2 weeks after treatment completion

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Social Phobia Inventory scores	The Social Phobia Inventory is a self-reported questionnaire comprised of 17 items on a 5-point scale depicting social worries and problems. Participants rate to what extent these situations have bothered them in the past week. Item scores are summed to a total score ranging 0-68.	1-2 weeks after treatment completion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tel Aviv University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 2, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 12, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): June 12, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 1, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 7, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 7, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2018
• Last Verified: February 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: social anxiety disorder; treatment outcome; attention-bias modification; statistical learning
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Phobic Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Phobia, Social
• Other Study ID Numbers: TAU-SL

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO