Optimizing the Efficacy of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Using Placebo Mechanisms in an Guided and Unguided Online-intervention

Philipps University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Participants

Treatments: Behavioral: Neutral video before PMR (unguided) + Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR); Behavioral: Video optimizing expectations before PMR (unguided) + Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR); Behavioral: Video optimizing expectations before PMR (guided) + Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR); Behavioral: Neutral video before PMR (guided)+ Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04973839

augment_PMR

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to determine whether a brief video aiming to optimize expectations regarding the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can enhance the efficacy of a PMR compared to a neutral video control group in an online intervention. Another aim is to assess whether this effect will be moderated by the degree of human support (guided or unguided intervention).

Full description

This study aims to determine whether a brief video aiming to optimize expectations regarding the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can enhance the efficacy of a PMR session compared to a neutral video control group in an online intervention. Another aim is to assess whether this effect will be moderated by the degree of human support (guided or unguided intervention). After the baseline assessment, participants are randomized to one of 4 possible intervention groups: i) watching a video aiming to optimize participants' expectations before undergoing a single PMR session without personal support of the experimenter (unguided), ii) watching a video aiming to optimize participants' expectations before undergoing a single PMR session with the personal support of the experimenter (guided), iii) watching a neutral video (not aiming to optimize participants' expectations) before undergoing a single PMR session without personal support of the experimenter (unguided), or iv) watching a neutral video (not aiming to optimize participants' expectations) before undergoing a single PMR session with the personal support of the experimenter (guided). In a pre-posttest design, the subjective stress levels of the participants in the for groups will be analyzed.

Enrollment: 90 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy participants
• fluency in the German language to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• muscle disease, muscle cramps, acute psychosis, acute trauma responses, or another chronic somatic illness
• Mental disorder

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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90 participants in 4 patient groups

Video optimizing expectations before PMR (unguided)

Experimental group

Description:

watching a video aiming to optimize participants' expectations before undergoing a single PMR session without personal support of the experimenter (unguided)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Video optimizing expectations before PMR (unguided) + Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Video optimizing expectations before PMR (guided)

Experimental group

Description:

watching a video aiming to optimize participants' expectations before undergoing a single PMR session with the personal support of the experimenter (guided)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Video optimizing expectations before PMR (guided) + Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Neutral video before PMR (unguided)

Active Comparator group

Description:

watching a neutral video (not aiming to optimize participants' expectations) before undergoing a single PMR session without personal support of the experimenter (unguided),

Treatment:

Behavioral: Neutral video before PMR (unguided) + Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Neutral video before PMR (guided)

Active Comparator group

Description:

watching a neutral video (not aiming to optimize participants' expectations) before undergoing a single PMR session with the personal support of the experimenter (guided)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Neutral video before PMR (guided)+ Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)