Virtual Reality System for Anxiety and OCD

Anxiety Clinical Trial

Official title:

Low-Cost, Virtual Reality System to Increase Access to Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders - Phase II

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03856567
• Other study ID #: 18-006031
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: December 1, 2020
• Est. completion date: November 30, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: November 2020
• Source: Mayo Clinic
• Contact: Deanna R Hofschulte, CCRP
• Phone: 507-255-2972
• Email: hofschulte.deanna[@]mayo.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with fear provoking exposures is the most effective therapy for anxiety disorders. The investigators aim to enhance this therapy with the use of virtual reality exposures. The human subjects study will test the effects of using VR for exposures compared to traditional imaginal exposures on anxiety symptom improvement, functioning, child engagement in and response to exposures, completion of exposure homework between treatment sessions, and length of treatment in weeks and length of treatment among children with anxiety disorders and/or obsessive compulsive disorder.

The funding award supports the development of the technology and the human subjects study. The subcontract to Mayo supports expert input to identify clinically relevant content for therapeutic videos on the VR system and the human subjects study to test the VR system.

Description:

Seventy children with childhood anxiety disorders (CADs) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and a parent will be recruited to test the Phase II VR system with a randomized controlled mixed methods study. Participants will be identified through the Mayo Clinic Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic (PADC). Participants will be randomly assigned to home exposure practice with or without the VR system, i.e., intervention or control, respectively. All participants in the study will participate in an introductory session in which participants complete two exposures related to content from their fear ladder, one with the VR system and an analogous imaginal exposure. Each family will receive instructions for how to use the Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach tablet app to record exposures during home practice. Participants will then be assigned one week of daily exposure homework for both the intervention and control conditions. Patients randomized to the intervention condition will take home the VR system for homework completion and participants assigned to control will be instructed to complete imaginal exposures. One week after the introductory session, all participants will return for a session in which participants complete both types of exposure. Participants will also be assigned to a third generalization exposure, i.e., an exposure related to the baseline exposure that is higher on the fear ladder, to complete at their next anxiety clinic treatment session. SUDS ratings for each type of exposure will be recorded electronically via the Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach. During the follow up session, an independent interviewer will observe participants' engagement during exposures and will interview participants and their parents about their experience with both types of exposure.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 140
• Est. completion date: November 30, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: November 30, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 7 Years to 17 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 7 to 17

2. Primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of and/or current diagnosis of: psychosis, autism, bipolar disorder, mental retardation, oppositional defiant disorder, PTSD, selective mutism or major depressive disorder

2. Current suicidality or recent suicidal behavior

3. Parent to be involved in study who is unable to adequately participate due to intellectual or psychiatric difficulties

4. Starting or changing the dosage of a psychiatric medication in the last 2 months

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety
• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Intervention

Other:
• VR System
Use of virtual reality to deliver exposure therapy
• Control
Use of conventional delivery of exposure therapy

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Mayo Clinic in Rochester	Rochester	Minnesota

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Mayo Clinic

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Mean change from baseline in Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) at end of session	The SUDS - 0 to 10 ratings, where 0 indicates that participants feel no anxiety at all and 10 indicates that participants are experiencing maximum distress.	2 hours

External Links

•   Mayo Clinic Clinical Trials