Exercise and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

Fear of Heights Clinical Trial

Official title:

Exercise and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02361203
• Other study ID #: 2014-12-0037
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: January 29, 2015
• Last updated: February 1, 2016
• Start date: February 2015
• Est. completion date: January 2016

Study information

• Verified date: February 2016
• Source: University of Texas at Austin
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether aerobic exercise can enhance the effects of exposure therapy treatment for fear of heights.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: January 2016
• Est. primary completion date: January 2016
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 25 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 to 25

• Speaks English fluently

• Score of 80 or higher on the Acrophobia Questionnaire

• SUDS rating of 50 or higher on the Behavioral Avoidance Test or complete refusal to comply with instructions due to intensity of fear

• Passes the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire-Plus

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hearing or visually impaired

• Currently receiving exposure-based treatment for acrophobia

• Able to remain on floor 20 for 30 seconds during BAT with a SUDS rating < 50

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Fear of Heights

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Exercise
30 minutes of aerobic exercise on a treadmill at 80% of participant's heart rate reserve.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Texas at Austin	Austin	Texas

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Texas at Austin

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Fear scores	Change in fear scores using subjective units of distress will be assessed.	7 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No
Primary	Perceived threat likelihood scores	Change in the perception of threat likelihood on a scale from 1-5 will be assessed.	7 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No
Secondary	Skin conductance fluctuations	Changes in skin conductance fluctuations will be assessed.	7 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No
Secondary	Heart rate fluctuations	Heart rate fluctuations will be assessed.	7 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No
Secondary	Acrophobia Severity	Change in score on the Acrophobia Questionnaire	14 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No
Secondary	Attitudes Toward Heights	Change in score on the Attitudes Toward Heights Inventory	14 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No
Secondary	Clinical Global Improvement	Change in score on the Clinical Global Improvement Scale	14 (+/- 3) days after exposure therapy	No