RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT06526260

Very Brief Exposure: Development of a Novel Exposure Modality for Social Anxiety Disorder in Transition-Age Youth

Sponsor

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Enrollment

80 participants

Start Date

Aug 14, 2024

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Social Anxiety Disorder

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to identify the circuit activations by very brief exposure (VBE) among youth with social anxiety disorder (SAD) in order to develop a novel intervention for those with SAD. The secondary objectives of this study are to measure the effect of VBE on subjective fear ratings, and participants' awareness and tolerance of the exposure stimuli. * The primary outcome of this study is the mean activation of frontostriatal and prefrontal brain regions to facial stimuli, as measured by Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) response, in 4 regions of interest during the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). * Another primary outcome of the study is to identify networks of regions subserving emotion regulation and attention, as measured by BOLD response of corresponding brain regions. Secondary Outcomes -The secondary outcome of this study is the fear induced by exposure to facial expression stimuli as measured by a 4-point fear scale during the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) after each block of 10 facial expression stimuli trials. Participants will participate in an interview where they will answer questions both inside and outside of the MRI scan. Participants will be asked to rate on a scale the imagines they see while undergoing MRI scan.

Eligibility

Min Age: 16 YearsMax Age: 22 Years

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is developing and testing a new type of brief therapy called "very brief exposure" (VBE) for teenagers and young adults with social anxiety disorder — intense fear of social situations. The study also includes healthy young people for comparison and parents or caregivers as additional study participants. Brain imaging (MRI) will be used to see how therapy affects brain activity. **You may be eligible if you are a young person (patient group) who...** - Is between 16 and 22 years old - Has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder - Speaks English or Spanish as a primary language - Is not currently taking any psychiatric medications **You may be eligible if you are a healthy young person (comparison group) who...** - Is between 16 and 22 years old - Has no history of anxiety, psychiatric illness, or major medical conditions **You may be eligible if you are a parent or caregiver who...** - Is fluent in English or Spanish - Is the parent/guardian of a participating youth **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You have active suicidal thoughts or intent - You have metal implants or devices that prevent MRI scanning - You have a history of psychosis, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, OCD, or current PTSD (for patient group) - You are pregnant Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALVery Brief Exposure to Facial Expressions

In Very Brief Exposure (VBE): a series of rapid micro- exposures to images depicting feared stimuli (e.g., for SAD, judgmental faces). Each image is followed by a masking stimulus to prevent its conscious recognition. This sequence of image-mask stimuli is repeated many times in an exposure session.