Use of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Flying Phobia
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Purpose
The project aims to explore the potential of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) for the treatment of the fear of driving, the fear of flying and the fear of public speaking.
The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to compare the efficiency of cognitive behavioural therapy with exposures in imagination to behavioural therapy with exposures in virtual reality. Anxiety levels are measured using specific questionnaires, SUD ratings and physiological measures (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, breathing frequency, heart rate variability).
Hypothesis: Treatments with exposures in virtual reality are more efficient than treatments with exposures in imagination.
| Condition | Intervention | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Flying Phobia |
Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Behavioral: Exposure Therapy through Imagination |
Phase 2 |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | Etude contrôlée Des Effets de la réalité Virtuelle Sur Les symptômes et Les paramètres Physiologiques de Certaines Phobies spécifiques |
- Flight taken [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]Participants are expected to take a real flight
- Physiological Measures [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]Heart Rate, Breathing frequency, Skin conductance, Skin Temperature, Heart Rate Variability
- Specific Questionnaires [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]Specific Questionnaires: SUD, Motivational Scale, Fear Questionnaire Marks 1979, Sheehan Disability Scale, STAI I & II, BDI, BAI, GAF, Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire FAS, Flight Anxiety Modality Questionnaire FAM
| Estimated Enrollment: | 30 |
| Study Start Date: | October 2008 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: | March 2012 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: | September 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Arms | Assigned Interventions |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: RV
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Virtual Reality Exposures
|
Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Participants are exposed to the feared situation (flying) through the virtual reality technology
|
|
Experimental: IMAGO
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Exposure Therapy through Imagination
|
Behavioral: Exposure Therapy through Imagination
Participants are exposed to the feared situation (flying) through exposure technique of imagination.
|
Detailed Description:
In the past, several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy in the treatment of flying phobia and driving phobia. As an objective tool, psychophysiological recordings help demonstrate the decrease of physiological aspects of anxiety reactions (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, heart rate variability and breathing pattern).
The aim of the present study is to examine the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy with exposures in imagination to behavioural therapy with exposures in virtual reality in the treatment of patients with flying phobia. Thirty patients will be randomized into either an imagination exposure group or a virtual reality exposure group after having received four sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy for coping with panic attacks. Respective exposure therapies consist in four sessions.
Anxiety levels will be measured before and after the cognitive behavioural therapy for coping with panic attacks as well as before and after the exposure therapy sessions and after 3 months using specific questionnaires, SUD ratings and psychophysiological measures (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, breathing frequency and heart rate variability). The exposure stimuli will consist in a 10min movie of a flight with an insight-cabin viewing perspective.
The investigators hypothesize that virtual reality exposure therapies will be more effective than imagination exposure therapy in terms of decrease of anxiety self-ratings and psychophysiological fear reactions.
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Confirmed diagnosis of a specific phobia (DSM-IV-TR)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant women
- Subjects with severe pulmonary / cardiovascular problems; Asthma, epilepsy, vertigo
- Drug abuse
- Subjects under on-stabilized anti-depressant treatment
- Psychotic subjects
- Subjects with suicidal ideas
- Subjects presenting insufficient intellectual capabilities
Contacts and Locations| Luxembourg | |
| Centre de Recherche Public de la Santé | |
| Strassen, Luxembourg, L-1445 | |
| Principal Investigator: | Charles Pull, Prof.Dr. | Centre de Recherche Public de la Santé |
More Information
Additional Information:
No publications provided
| Responsible Party: | Marc Damme, Principal Investigator, Centre de Recherche Public de la Sante, Luxembourg |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01442805 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: | 20080102 |
| Study First Received: | September 15, 2011 |
| Last Updated: | September 28, 2011 |
| Health Authority: | Luxembourg: Comite National d'Ethique de Recherche |
Keywords provided by Centre de Recherche Public de la Sante, Luxembourg:
|
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Psychophysiological Measures Driving Phobia Flying Phobia |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
|
Phobic Disorders Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 16, 2013