Virtual Reality Intervention for Fear of Heights

The Influence of Music on Response to Virtual Reality-Based Exposure for Acrophobia

Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Acrophobia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction; Behavioral: Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction

Detailed Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR.

The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later.

Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 44
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Michael Otto, PhD; Phone Number: 617-353-9610; Email: mwotto@bu.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Laura J Long, PhD; Phone Number: 617-358-4303; Email: ljlong@bu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
      • Recruiting
      • Boston University
      • Principal Investigator: Michael W. Otto, Ph.D.
      • Contact: Laura J. Long, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 617-358-4303; Email: ljlong@bu.edu
      • Contact: Michael; Phone Number: 617-353-9610; Email: mwotto@bu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Self-report of 18 years of age or older
• Current student at Boston University
• Ability to read English to provide informed consent
• Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet)
• For Phase 2: Acrophobia score of ≥ 45.45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous participation (i.e. no participant may take the survey more than once).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exposure Intervention with Non-Lyrical, Liked Background Music; Participants will be presented with a list of instrumental songs without lyrics from popular movies. Participants will then rank the songs in order of those they would like to hear the most. During VR heights exposure the participants' highest-ranked songs will be played in the background at a low volume.	Behavioral: Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction; VR exposure for acrophobia with background music.
Experimental: Exposure Intervention without Background Music; Participants will undergo VR heights exposure without background music.	Behavioral: Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction; VR exposure for acrophobia with no background music.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)	Assessed using the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Valance	Self-report measure of how participant feels about experiencing high-height environments.	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Height-Relevant Interpretations	Assessed using the Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Laura Long, PhD, Boston University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 8, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 21, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 23, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 22, 2024
• Last Verified: July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 7169E

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