The Link Between Mental Imagery and the Reduction of Fear in Imaginal Extinction
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 60
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Skin conductance response (SCR)
研究概览
简要总结
Imaginal exposure is a widely used psychological treatment technique. Imaginal extinction is an experimental analogue of imaginal exposure, that allows the study of this treatment technique under controlled circumstances (Agren, Björkstrand, & Fredrikson, 2017). During imaginal extinction, experimentally induced fear is diminished through repeated exposure to mental imagery of the feared (conditioned) stimulus. However, it is not known to what extent fear reduction depends on the mental imagery produced during this procedure. A better understanding of the mechanisms driving the effects of imaginal exposure and the factors moderating fear reduction could have significant clinical utility, by suggesting mechanistically informed ways to improve this treatment.
详细描述
The study takes part over three consecutive days, with fear conditioning to visual stimuli on day 1, imaginal extinction on day 2, and a fear reinstatement procedure, again to visual stimuli, on day 3. Skin conductance is used to measure fear responses.
Participants' are randomized to receive conditioning, extinction and reinstatement with either complex or simple stimuli. During imaginal extinction, imagery of each experimental stimulus is prompted through different verbal instructions.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Basic Science
- 盲法
- Single (Participant)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Age 18 or over
- •Fluent in Swedish
- •Willing and able to provide informed consent and complete study procedures
排除标准
- •Current psychiatric disorder
- •Use of psychotropic medication within 6 months prior to study start
- •Receiving psychological treatment within 6 months prior to study start
- •Current neurological condition
结局指标
主要结局
Skin conductance response (SCR)
时间窗: Day 3 (48 h after day 1)
SCR is used as a measure of physiological fear responses.Differences in fear response are used to assess return of fear during reinstatement, and to explore main effects and interactions between return of fear, stimulus complexity and capacity for mental imagery.
次要结局
- The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire(Day 2 (24 h after day 1))
- Expectancy ratings(Day 3 (48 h after day 1))
- State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(Day 1)
- Fear ratings(Day 3 (48 h after day 1))
- Difficulties in emotion regulation scale(Day 1)
- Vividness of mental imagery during imaginal extinction(Day 2 (24 h after day 1))
- The Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire(Day 2 (24 h after day 1))
- Spontaneous use of imagery scale(Day 2 (24 h after day 1))