Return of fear and the role context: comparing a visual to an olfactory context: Studies 1, 2 and 3

Completed

Conditions: anxiety disorders
10002861

Registration Number: NL-OMON30903

Lead Sponsor: niversiteit Utrecht

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 150

Inclusion Criteria

Students who are 18 years or older, are generally healthy, do not have a psychiatric condition or anxiety disorder, epilepsy, heart condition, a pacemaker, hearing-aid, a good (self-reported) sense of audition and vision, who are not pregnant or possibly pregnant, will be included in Study 1 will be accepted into the study.For inclusion in Study 2, in addition to the above, they need to have with a good (self-reported) sense of smell, no severe allergies, no asthma, or scores of 4 or higher on odour sensitivity, and not to have a severe cold or the flu .
For inclusion in Study 3, students will be preselected on their scores on Eysenck's Personality Inventory, and need to be in the upper or lower quartile in order to qualify for inclusion. They will also need to meet all other criteria. Thus, students who are high in neuroticism cannot have a diagnsoed anxiety disorder.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants who are younger than 18, indicate not to be healthy in general, to have a psychiatric conditions, or, specifically, anxiety disorders, epilepsy, a heart condition, pacemaker or hearing-aid, to have a below-average sense of smell, audition or vision, to be pregnant or possibly pregnant will not be included in any study. If they have severe allergies, asthma, odor sensitivities, or have a severe cold or flu they will not be included in Study 2.
Study 3: Student whose scores on the Eysenck's Personlity Inventory does not fall into the upper or lower quartile of the neuroticism scale do not qualify. Those who do fall into the above quartiles need to meet all other criteria for the Studies 1 and 2. If they are high on neuroticism, they cannot be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The CS is a line drawing presented on a computer screen. The US is a loud noise<br /><br>(50 msec of 95 dBA of white noise) with sudden onset and offset presented<br /><br>directly following the CS via a headphone, which will startle the participant.<br /><br>Per study, 50 participants will be tested (n=100 in total). As dependent<br /><br>variable, the electrodermal response will be measured via electrodes attached<br /><br>to the palmar surface of the hand, as well as the extent to which participants<br /><br>expect to receive the US, which they can indicate on a visual analog scale. In<br /><br>Study 3, the dependent variable of interest is the interval of uncertainty, or<br /><br>the part of the spectrum of colours associated with the CS that is evaluated as<br /><br>identical to the CS.<br /><br>Finally, questionnaires will be administered containing question about<br /><br>demographics, an evaluation of the context(s), and attention for odour.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Questionnaires will be administered with demographhic questions, questions<br /><br>about evaluation of context, neurotcism and attention for odours.</p><br>