AcrophobiaNCT06468878
Virtual Reality Intervention for Fear of Heights
A study testing Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction and Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction in people with Acrophobia, run by Boston University Charles River Campus at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Acrophobia
- What is being tested?
- Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction and Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 8 Jul 2024to 1 Dec 2025
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Self-report of 18 years of age or older
- Current student at Boston University
- Ability to read English to provide informed consent
- Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet)
- For Phase 2: Acrophobia score of ≥ 45.45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
Who cannot join
- Previous participation (i.e. no participant may take the survey more than once).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Influence of Music on Response to Virtual Reality-Based Exposure for Acrophobia
Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.
Read the detailed description
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR.
The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later.
Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.
- Conditions
- Acrophobia
- Being tested
- Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction, Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction
- Medical subject headings
- Acrophobia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Exposure Intervention Plus Music InductionBehavioural
VR exposure for acrophobia with background music.
Exposure Intervention With No Music InductionBehavioural
VR exposure for acrophobia with no background music.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure Intervention with Non-Lyrical, Liked Background Music | Experimental | Participants will be presented with a list of instrumental songs without lyrics from popular movies. Participants will then rank the songs in order of those they would like to hear the most. During VR heights exposure the participants' highest-ranked songs will be played in the background at a low volume. Receives: Behavioral: Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction |
| Exposure Intervention without Background Music | Experimental | Participants will undergo VR heights exposure without background music. Receives: Behavioral: Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)
Assessed using the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
Measured: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Secondary outcomes (2)
Valance
Self-report measure of how participant feels about experiencing high-height environments.
Measured: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Height-Relevant Interpretations
Assessed using the Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)
Measured: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Jun 2024
- Study start8 Jul 2024
- Primary completion1 Dec 2025
- Study completion1 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AcrophobiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- 60 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Boston University Charles River Campus
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Laura Long, PhD, Principal investigator, Boston University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06468878
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 7169E
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Jun 2024
- Last updated
- 25 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Influence of Music on Response to Virtual Reality-Based Exposure for Acrophobia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06468878
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 7169E
- Conditions
- Acrophobia
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Boston University Charles River CampusUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 21 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.
Detailed description
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR.
The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later.
Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure Intervention with Non-Lyrical, Liked Background Music | Experimental | Behavioral: Exposure Intervention Plus Music InductionParticipants will be presented with a list of instrumental songs without lyrics from popular movies. Participants will then rank the songs in order of those they would like to hear the most. During VR heights exposure the participants' highest-ranked songs will be played in the background at a low volume. |
| Exposure Intervention without Background Music | Experimental | Behavioral: Exposure Intervention With No Music InductionParticipants will undergo VR heights exposure without background music. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Self-report of 18 years of age or older
- Current student at Boston University
- Ability to read English to provide informed consent
- Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet)
- For Phase 2: Acrophobia score of ≥ 45.45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Previous participation (i.e. no participant may take the survey more than once).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure Intervention Plus Music InductionVR exposure for acrophobia with background music. | Behavioural | Exposure Intervention with Non-Lyrical, Liked Background Music |
| Exposure Intervention With No Music InductionVR exposure for acrophobia with no background music. | Behavioural | Exposure Intervention without Background Music |
Primary outcome
Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)
Time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Assessed using the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
2 secondary outcomes
Valance
Time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Height-Relevant Interpretations
Time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Laura Long, PhD principal investigator
Boston University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction and Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction in people with Acrophobia, run by Boston University Charles River Campus 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 1 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 25 Jun 2026. 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?
Acrophobia (Fear of Heights) (time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 25 Jun 2026.