Specific Phobia, AnimalNCT07558824
A Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial of a Telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Clinic for the Treatment of Phobias
A study testing Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos in people with Specific Phobia, Animal, run by University of South Florida at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic (Doxy.me VR) works to treat dog, spider, and snake phobias in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does Doxy.me VR decrease the severity of phobias better than traditional telemedicine-based treatment? Does this… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Specific Phobia, Animal
- What is being tested?
- Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 240 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Apr 2026to Jan 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Individuals will be eligible if they: (1) are an adult (≥18 years old); (2) have a self-reported fear of dogs, snakes, and/or spiders; (3) score 89 ≥ on the FSQ OR 24 ≥ on the SNAQ OR 147 ≥ on the DPQ; and (4) have access to the internet AND a computer OR smartphone with video conferencing capabilities.
Who cannot join
- Individuals will be ineligible to participate if they: (1) are participating in ongoing mental health therapy from a non-study therapist; (2) changed psychiatric medication use within the past 6 weeks; (3) report active auditory, visual, and/or tactile hallucinations via the DART Psychosis Module screening question; (4) report active health conditions requiring upcoming planned or likely hospitalization or intensive treatment that will prevent them from participating; (5) report active legal proceedings that might lead to incarceration during the study period that would prevent them from participating; (6) report an unstable housing situation (eg., eviction or homelessness); (7) have experienced photosensitive seizures within the prior 6 months; (8) endorse more than 20% of symptom validity questions.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida, 33613
Maureen Jacobs Plaisimond, 813-396-0060, MCOM-VRStudy@usf.edu
About this study
Official title: Doxy.me VR vs. Telemental Health-Based Exposure Therapy: Phase II
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic (Doxy.me VR) works to treat dog, spider, and snake phobias in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does Doxy.me VR decrease the severity of phobias better than traditional telemedicine-based treatment? Does this work because it feels more realistic than telemedicine alone?
- Conditions
- Specific Phobia, Animal
- Being tested
- Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos
- Keywords
- phobia, phobias, snakes, dogs, spiders
- Medical subject headings
- Phobia, Specific, Phobic Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure TherapyBehavioural
Participants will complete 7 60-minute exposure therapy sessions in a Virtual Reality Clinic using Virtual Reality stimuli and progress to in vivo exposures.
Other Name:
Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and VideosBehavioural
Participants will complete 7 60-minute exposure therapy sessions using photos/videos and progress to in vivo exposures.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy | Experimental | This group will receive exposure therapy in a telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Clinic using virtual reality snakes, dogs, or spiders. The VR stimuli range from small to medium to large and have four activity levels: idle, calm, energetic, and aggressive. Receives: Behavioral: Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy |
| Standard Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy | Active comparator | This group will receive exposure therapy via Doxy.me telemedicine platform using photos and videos of snakes, dogs, or spiders. The photo/video stimuli range from small to medium to large and have four activity levels: idle, calm, energetic, and aggressive. Receives: Behavioral: Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Phobia symptom severity
The Severity Measure for Specific Phobia (SMSP) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the severity of specific phobia symptoms relative to an individual's feared stimulus. Total scores range from 0 to 4 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Measured: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Dog Phobia Severity
The Dog Phobia Questionnaire (DPQ) is a 27-item, self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of dog phobia symptoms. Scores range from 27 to 189 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Measured: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Snake Phobia Severity
The Snake Anxiety Questionnaire (SNAQ) is a 30-item self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of snake phobia symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 30 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Measured: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Spider Phobia Severity
The Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) is an 18-item self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of spider phobia symptoms. Scores range from 18 to 126 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Measured: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Secondary outcomes (9)
Specific Phobia Diagnosis
The Diagnostic Assessment Research Tool (DART) is a modular semi structured interview corresponding with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Study therapists administer the DART Specific Phobia Module, which provides designations of Absent, Subthreshold, and Present.
Measured: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
General Anxiety
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a 7-item self-report measure of anxiety symptom severity. Scores range from 0 to 15 with higher scores indicating higher anxiety severity.
Measured: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Depression Severity
The Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) is an 8-item self-report measure of depression symptom severity. Scores range from 0 to 27 with higher scores indicating higher depression severity.
Measured: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Quality of Life Level
The Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) is a 16-item self-report measure of quality of life. Scores range from 16 to 112 with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Measured: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Level of Telepresence
The iGroup Presence Questionnaire (iPQ) is a 14-item self-report questionnaire of telepresence. Scores on each subscale range from 0-6 with higher scores indicating more presence.
Measured: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7; Averaged across weeks
Cybersickness Severity
The Cybersickness in Virtual Reality Questionnaire (CSQ-VR) is an 6-item measure of nausea, vestibular, and oculomotor cybersickness experienced in virtual reality. Scores range from 6 to 27 with higher scores indicating higher levels of cybersickness.
Measured: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7; Averaged across weeks
Level of Working (Therapeutic) Alliance
The Working Alliance Inventory (WAI-SR) is a 12-item client-rated measure of therapeutic alliance. Total scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating a better therapeutic alliance.
Measured: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
Satisfaction with Therapy
The Satisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale-Revised (STTS-R) is a 13-item self-report questionnaire that assesses client satisfaction with treatment. Scores range from 0 to 60 with higher scores indicating higher satisfaction.
Measured: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
System Usability
The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a 10-item self-report measure of the usability of a particular software system, platform, or app. Scores range from 0-100 with higher scores indicating better usability.
Measured: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Apr 2026
- Study startApr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Specific Phobia, AnimalStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of South FloridaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- 240 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of South Florida
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Brian E. Bunnell, PhD, Principal investigator, University of South Florida
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07558824
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 008130
- Other IDs
- R44MH129065
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 30 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- 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 30 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Doxy.me VR vs. Telemental Health-Based Exposure Therapy: Phase II
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07558824
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 008130
- Conditions
- Specific Phobia, Animal
- Keywords
- phobia, phobias, snakes, dogs, spiders
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of South FloridaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Apr 2026 (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.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic (Doxy.me VR) works to treat dog, spider, and snake phobias in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does Doxy.me VR decrease the severity of phobias better than traditional telemedicine-based treatment? Does this work because it feels more realistic than telemedicine alone?
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy | Experimental | Behavioral: Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure TherapyThis group will receive exposure therapy in a telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Clinic using virtual reality snakes, dogs, or spiders. The VR stimuli range from small to medium to large and have four activity levels: idle, calm, energetic, and aggressive. |
| Standard Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy | Active comparator | Behavioral: Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and VideosThis group will receive exposure therapy via Doxy.me telemedicine platform using photos and videos of snakes, dogs, or spiders. The photo/video stimuli range from small to medium to large and have four activity levels: idle, calm, energetic, and aggressive. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Individuals will be eligible if they: (1) are an adult (≥18 years old); (2) have a self-reported fear of dogs, snakes, and/or spiders; (3) score 89 ≥ on the FSQ OR 24 ≥ on the SNAQ OR 147 ≥ on the DPQ; and (4) have access to the internet AND a computer OR smartphone with video conferencing capabilities.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Individuals will be ineligible to participate if they: (1) are participating in ongoing mental health therapy from a non-study therapist; (2) changed psychiatric medication use within the past 6 weeks; (3) report active auditory, visual, and/or tactile hallucinations via the DART Psychosis Module screening question; (4) report active health conditions requiring upcoming planned or likely hospitalization or intensive treatment that will prevent them from participating; (5) report active legal proceedings that might lead to incarceration during the study period that would prevent them from participating; (6) report an unstable housing situation (eg., eviction or homelessness); (7) have experienced photosensitive seizures within the prior 6 months; (8) endorse more than 20% of symptom validity questions.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure TherapyParticipants will complete 7 60-minute exposure therapy sessions in a Virtual Reality Clinic using Virtual Reality stimuli and progress to in vivo exposures. Other Name: | Behavioural | Telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy |
| Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and VideosParticipants will complete 7 60-minute exposure therapy sessions using photos/videos and progress to in vivo exposures. | Behavioural | Standard Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy |
Primary outcome
Phobia symptom severity
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
The Severity Measure for Specific Phobia (SMSP) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the severity of specific phobia symptoms relative to an individual's feared stimulus. Total scores range from 0 to 4 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Dog Phobia Severity
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
The Dog Phobia Questionnaire (DPQ) is a 27-item, self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of dog phobia symptoms. Scores range from 27 to 189 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Snake Phobia Severity
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
The Snake Anxiety Questionnaire (SNAQ) is a 30-item self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of snake phobia symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 30 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Spider Phobia Severity
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
The Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) is an 18-item self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of spider phobia symptoms. Scores range from 18 to 126 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
9 secondary outcomes
Specific Phobia Diagnosis
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
General Anxiety
Time frame: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Depression Severity
Time frame: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Quality of Life Level
Time frame: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Level of Telepresence
Time frame: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7; Averaged across weeks
Cybersickness Severity
Time frame: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7; Averaged across weeks
Level of Working (Therapeutic) Alliance
Time frame: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
Satisfaction with Therapy
Time frame: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
System Usability
Time frame: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Bringing Exposure Therapy to Real-Life Context With Augmented Reality-Dogs (ARET)-Dogs
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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.
Brian E. Bunnell, PhD principal investigator
University of South Florida
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos in people with Specific Phobia, Animal, run by University of South Florida 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 1 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Apr 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Maureen Jacobs Plaisimond (813-396-0060, MCOM-VRStudy@usf.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Phobia symptom severity (time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 30 Apr 2026.