Differential Effects of in Vivo and Virtual Exposure Therapy in Agoraphobia

Launched by JOHANNES GUTENBERG UNIVERSITY MAINZ · Jul 16, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how two types of therapy—traditional exposure therapy and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET)—can help people with agoraphobia, a condition where individuals feel anxious in certain situations, especially in crowded or public spaces. The study aims to understand how these therapies affect the way patients perceive their body sensations, such as heartbeats, and how this relates to their anxiety. Researchers are also looking into how a system in our bodies called the endocannabinoid system might influence treatment outcomes and stress responses.

To participate in this study, individuals aged between 18 and 75 years who have been diagnosed with agoraphobia or social phobia may be eligible. The study is open to healthy individuals as well, as long as they do not have any other serious mental or physical health conditions. Participants can expect to engage in therapy sessions that will help them confront their fears in a supportive environment. It's important to note that certain medications and health conditions may prevent someone from joining the trial, so potential participants will be carefully screened. The trial is not yet recruiting, but it aims to shed light on effective treatments for anxiety disorders.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Experimental group: Diagnosis of agoraphobia with or without panic disorder
• • Clinical control group: diagnosis of social phobia
• • Control group: healthy individuals without acute or chronic mental illness
• • A depressive disorder may be present as a comorbid diagnosis in the experimental group and the clinical control group
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Other mental illnesses: Substance dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia, eating disorders, PTSD, major depressive episode, personality disorder
• • Somatic diseases: Cancer, cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, metabolic or endocrine diseases
• • Taking psychotropic medication (except antidepressants) or medication that affects the cardiovascular system (e.g. beta-blockers), medication containing cortisone, use of creams with corticosteroids
• • Pregnancy, breastfeeding
• • Ongoing psychotherapy