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Social Anxiety DisorderNCT00872820

Examining Long-Term Effects and Neural Mediators of Behavioral Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder

A study testing Acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapy and Cognitive behavioral therapy in people with Social Anxiety Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will compare the effects that two types of behavioral therapy have on brain function in people with social anxiety disorder. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 45 years
Conditions the study is for
Social Anxiety Disorder
What is being tested?
Acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapy and Cognitive behavioral therapy
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Oct 2008to Sep 2013
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 45 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Meets diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder
  • Right-handed
  • If taking medications, stabilized on current dose for 3 months
  • If undergoing psychotherapy, stabilized for 6 months
  • Speaks English

Who cannot join

  • Currently undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy
  • History of psychiatric hospitalization in the last 5 years
  • Presence of serious medical condition, such as respiratory, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, or muscular-skeletal disease or pregnancy
  • Active suicidal ideation
  • Current severe depression
  • History of bipolar disorder, psychosis, mental retardation, or brain damage
Show all 9Show fewer
  • History of substance abuse or dependence in the last 6 months
  • Presence of irremovable metal objects in the body that are not fMRI-safe
  • Suffers from claustrophobia

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • UCLA Psychology Department - Franz Hall

    Los Angeles, California, 90095

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Neural Mediators of Behavior Therapy for Anxiety

This study will compare the effects that two types of behavioral therapy have on brain function in people with social anxiety disorder.

Read the detailed description

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by intense and debilitating anxiety in common social situations. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a talking treatment that aims to reduce immediate anxiety symptoms. However, some anxiety symptoms and comorbid disorders not directly addressed by CBT may only improve in the short term, while recurring in the long term. Behavioral therapy based on acceptance and mindfulness is thought to have longer lasting effects, because this approach emphasizes accepting anxiety instead of controlling anxiety. This study will compare standard CBT to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which uses acceptance and mindfulness, to determine which is more effective on both a short- and long-term basis. Participants with SAD will undergo brain scans to determine how the two therapies affect brain functioning.

Participation in this study will last 12 months. Participants with SAD will be randomly assigned to receive CBT, ACT, or a waitlist condition. Both CBT and ACT treatments will include 12 weekly sessions that will deal with objects and situations that provoke anxiety. All sessions will be audio- and videotaped. The waitlist group will complete weekly self-monitoring forms to track anxiety and panic and will receive a phone call from a research coordinator every 2 weeks to make sure symptoms have not worsened. After 12 weeks, participants on the waitlist will be offered treatment.

All participants will attend study visits to undergo brain scanning at baseline, after 3 months, and after 12 months. Each study visit will involve MRI scanning (to evaluate brain structure), functional MRI (fMRI) scanning (to evaluate brain function), questionnaires about a participant's experience in the scanner, and collection of saliva samples before, during, and after scanning. While undergoing the fMRI scan, participants will be asked to remain at rest for a certain period of time, and then to perform tasks that will engage certain parts of the brain. Assessments for all participants will occur at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months. These assessments will include diagnostic evaluations by a therapist, self-report questionnaires, ongoing self-monitoring, physiological measurements, cognitive assessments, and behavioral observation.

Being tested
Acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy
Keywords
Social Anxiety, Social Anxiety Treatment, Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness, Social Phobia, Social Phobia Treatment
Medical subject headings
Phobia, Social

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapyBehavioural

    12 weekly treatment sessions conducted individually with a therapist; strategies for dealing with anxiety will include mindfulness and acceptance of negative feelings

  • Cognitive behavioral therapyBehavioural

    12 weekly treatment sessions conducted individually with a therapist; methods for dealing with anxiety will include cognitive and breathing strategies

Study groups in NCT00872820
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1Active comparatorParticipants will receive standard cognitive behavioral therapy.
Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy
2ExperimentalParticipants will receive acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapy.
Receives: Behavioral: Acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapy
3No interventionParticipants will be placed on a waitlist for 3 months before being offered treatment.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Brain activity, assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

    Measured: Measured at baseline and after 3 and 12 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Social anxiety symptoms

    Measured: Measured at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted31 Mar 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2008
  3. Primary completionSep 2013
  4. Study completionSep 2013

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
50 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00872820
Sponsor's protocol ID
R21MH081299
Other IDs
R21MH081299, DATR A3-NSS
Status last verified
Dec 2014
First submitted
30 Mar 2009
Last updated
11 Dec 2014
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Niles AN, Burklund LJ, Arch JJ, Lieberman MD, Saxbe D, Craske MG. Cognitive mediators of treatment for social anxiety disorder: comparing acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Behav Ther. 2014 Sep;45(5):664-77. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2014.04.006. Epub 2014 May 5.

    PubMed 25022777

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Acceptance- and commitment-based behavioral therapy and Cognitive behavioral therapy in people with Social Anxiety Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Dec 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Brain activity, assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (time frame: Measured at baseline and after 3 and 12 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00872820, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Dec 2014.

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