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Using the Neuroscience of Fear Extinction for Anxiety Reduction
Not Recruiting
Trial ID: NCT03465137
Purpose
Social anxiety disorder affects as many as 12% of Americans, resulting in significant
distress and disability. Although exposure therapy is one of the best treatments available,
as many as 25% of patients do not respond and we do not know why. Extinction learning is
thought to be the mechanism of exposure therapy, and the neuroscience of extinction learning
has advanced significantly since exposure therapy was developed; however, there has been
little application towards improved clinical outcomes.
This project aims to improve exposure therapy response for patients with social anxiety
disorder by directly linking exposure therapy response to the neurobiology of extinction
learning. It also aims to increase our scientific understanding of how brain circuits work to
support extinction learning. To do this, 80 adults with social anxiety disorder will randomly
be assigned to either receive exposure therapy right away, or to wait before therapy.
Participants will all complete a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan to assess
extinction learning before the therapy.
Official Title
Developing a Mechanistic Neurobiological Model of Exposure Therapy Response Based on Fear Extinction Theory
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- age 18-50
- primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder
- fluent spoken and written English
- able to provide informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- history of mania or psychosis
- current moderate or severe substance use disorder
- current major depression greater than moderate severity
- high risk for suicide
- prior traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness >5 minutes
- general medical condition or impediment to vision, hearing, or motor function likely
to interfere with assessments
- prior exposure therapy (>2 sessions)
- current use of psychotropic medication
- current psychotherapy other than couples counseling
- post-menopausal status
- pregnancy
Intervention(s):
behavioral: Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM)
Not Recruiting
Contact Information
Stanford University
School of Medicine
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford,
CA
94305
Tali M Ball, PhD