Attention Bias Modification Training in Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder (SOFIE-11)

Umeå University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Social Phobia

Treatments: Behavioral: Attention bias modification

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01463137

SOFIE-11

Details and patient eligibility

About

A study investigating six different versions of a computerized attention bias modification internet program in the treatment of social phobia / social anxiety disorder.

Full description

Previous studies have shown that individuals with social phobia have attention biases, often focusing on aversive stimuli or avoiding aversive stimuli. Computerized training programs have been developed to implicitly direct the users attention towards a neutral, non-threatening stimuli. In this study, such a program will be compared with a program that implicitly directs the users' attention towards threatening cues. Pre/post-measurements will be compared in a sample of individuals that meet diagnostic criteria of Social Anxiety Disorder. Participants will be randomized to one of three groups, receiving one of the two variants of the attention bias modification program or a control training program.

Enrollment: 129 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants must meet criteria for social phobia using the International classification system Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV).
• Comorbidity is allowed, but social phobia must be the primary diagnosis.

Exclusion criteria

• Below 18 years old.
• Individuals who are suicide prone will be excluded from the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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129 participants in 6 patient groups

Control training with words

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Computerized, internet-based control training program. Participant is exposed to a pair of words -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 192 word pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe follows the more positive word and the more negative word with equal frequency.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention bias modification

Control training with words + pictures

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Computerized, internet-based control training program. Participant is exposed to a pair of words or a pair of faces -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words or faces and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 96 word pairs and 96 face pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe follows the more positive stimulus and the more negative stimulus with equal frequency.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention bias modification

Positive bias training with words

Active Comparator group

Description:

Computerized, internet-based training program for implicit modification of cognitive bias of attention, variant 1. Participant is exposed to two words -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 192 word pairs are shown during a session, of one third is the neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe always follows the more positive word.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention bias modification

Positive bias training with words + pictures

Active Comparator group

Description:

Computerized, internet-based training program for implicit modification of cognitive bias of attention, variant 2. Participant is exposed to a pair of words or a pair of faces -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words or faces and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 96 word pairs and 96 face pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe always follows the more positive word or face.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention bias modification

Negative bias training with words

Active Comparator group

Description:

Computerized, internet-based training program for implicit modification of cognitive bias of attention, variant 3. Participant is exposed to two words -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 192 word pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe always follows the more negative word.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention bias modification

Negative bias training with words + pictures

Active Comparator group

Description:

Computerized, internet-based training program for implicit modification of cognitive bias of attention, variant 4. Participant is exposed to a pair of words or a pair of faces -- either neutral-negative, neutral-positive, or negative-positive -- for 500ms-1000ms, followed by a probe (\< or \>) in the previous position of ONE of these words or faces and is then asked to press the corresponding arrow button on a keyboard. A total of 96 word pairs and 96 face pairs are shown during a session. One third is neutral-negative, one third is neutral-positive, and one third is negative-positive. The probe always follows the more negative word or face.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention bias modification