Exposure, D-cycloserine Enhancement, and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in Snake Phobics

Hartford Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Specific Phobia

Treatments: Drug: D-cycloserine; Drug: Placebo; Behavioral: Exposure therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01450306

NAVE003220HU

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of the present study is to determine whether people receiving d-cycloserine and exposure therapy show different brain reactions to symptom provocation compared to people receiving placebo and exposure therapy.

Full description

D-cycloserine (DCS) is a partial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist that may improve or accelerate extinction learning. We will randomly assign people with snake phobia to receive DCS or placebo, and then provide all participants with exposure therapy. We will examine whether people receiving DCS and vs. placebo show different brain reactions to symptom provocation before and after exposure therapy.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Primary diagnosis of specific phobia (snakes)

Exclusion criteria

• History of psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or mania
• Recent substance abuse or suicidality
• Previous receipt of study treatments

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

D-cycloserine plus exposure therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Single session (up to 3 hr) of in vivo exposure therapy plus 50 mg oral d-cycloserine administered 1 hr prior to exposure therapy session

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure therapy

Drug: D-cycloserine

Placebo plus exposure therapy

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Single session (up to 3 hr) of in vivo exposure therapy plus oral placebo capsule administered 1 hr prior to exposure therapy session

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure therapy

Drug: Placebo