EMDR in Spider Phobia: Work Mechanisms and Treatment Outcome

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Spider Phobia
• Interventions: Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy; Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

• Registration Number: NCT02973919
• Lead Sponsor: University of Regensburg

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to increase the efficiency of exposure in virtual reality (VR).

Based on the EMDR research the investigators would like to show that the implementation of eye movements during the VR exposure results in a faster physiological relaxation response among probands with spider phobia, which has a positive effect on the subjective and behavioral efficacy of the VR exposure.

Detailed Description

The VR paradigm consists of one room with a spider in it. The proband is supposed to look at it for a few minutes. This exposure is repeated several times.

In the experimental group a ball appears during the exposure, that moves horizontally across the room. The probands are supposed to follow this movement with their eyes.

EDA, EKG and respiration are being recorded. Furthermore the subjective and behavioral spider phobia is measured before, during and after the exposure to determine occurring changes.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-07
• Primary Completion: 2015-12
• Study Completion: 2016-09
• Status Verified: 2016-11
• Study First Submitted: 2016-11-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-11-21
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-11-21
• Study First Posted: 2016-11-28
• Last Update Posted: 2016-11-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 53

Inclusion Criteria

• the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID, First et al., 2002; applied German translation: Strukturiertes Klinisches Interview für DSM-IV, Achse I, SKID I, Wittchen et al., 1997), in order to get a reliable diagnosis of spider phobia

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Exclusion Criteria

• pregnancy
• current psychopharmacological medication
• current involvement in psychiatric- or psychotherapeutic treatment
• cardiovascular or neurological diseases
• color blindness
• hearing disorders

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Eye movements	Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy	Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy + virtual reality exposure therapy
Control	Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy	virtual reality exposure therapy
Eye movements	Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy	Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy + virtual reality exposure therapy

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Behavioral Assessment Test (BAT) in vivo	5 minutes before, 5 minutes after intervention and during folow up (2 weeks post Intervention)	expected fear just before getting started and actually present fear just before finishing

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Electrocardiogram (ECG)	during the VR-session	providing the Heart Rate (HR)
Skin Conductance Reactivity (SCR)	during the VR-session
manipulation check electrode below the right eye (M. orbicularis oculi)	during the VR- exposure sessions (5 min x 4 sessions)	for registering eye movements
Change in Subjective Fear Ratings	1 min before and during ( each minute) exposure in Virtual Reality	Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale