EMDR in the Treatment of Specific Phobia.

Not Applicable

Withdrawn

• Conditions: Specific Phobia
• Interventions: Other: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing); Other: Exposure therapy

• Registration Number: NCT00184145
• Lead Sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Brief Summary

The purpose for this study is to determine whether EMDR is effective in the treatment of specific (animal) phobia.

Detailed Description

Aims: To test the hypothesis that one session EMDR is more effective for the treatment of specific (animal) phobia than relaxation immediately after treatment and at follow-up. Secondly to test whether an additional one-session exposure therapy offered to both treatment groups (EMDR patients and relaxation patients) improves outcome in the EMDR-group and results in equal outcome for both treatment groups.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2004-06
• Primary Completion: 2004-09
• Study Completion: 2004-09
• Study First Submitted: 2005-09-10
• Study First Submitted QC: 2005-09-10
• Study First Posted: 2005-09-16
• Status Verified: 2017-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-02-24
• Last Update Posted: 2017-02-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: WITHDRAWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: Not specified

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients with Specific (Animal) Phobia

Exclusion Criteria

• Current or past psychotic disorder
• Current substance dependence or abuse
• Serious physical illness
• Active suicidal behavior
• Bipolar affective disorder
• Pregnancy

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
EMDR	EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)	The experimental group was treated for animal phobia by EMDR, control group received an attention placebo (relaxation plus breathing exercises). Afterwards, both groups were treated by exposure therapy (therapy of choice for animal phobia).
EMDR	Exposure therapy	The experimental group was treated for animal phobia by EMDR, control group received an attention placebo (relaxation plus breathing exercises). Afterwards, both groups were treated by exposure therapy (therapy of choice for animal phobia).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavioral Approach Test towards the feared animal.	Before and after each treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Neuropsychological function	Before first treatment, some measures also before second treatment
Cognitive strategies	Before both treatments
Scores on self-report questionnaires on phobic symptoms	Before and after both treatments