Neuroimaging of Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Processes in Patients With Pathological Anxiety

NCT ID: NCT03498599

Last Updated: 2018-04-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-08-01
• Study Completion Date: 2020-06-30

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how the human brain learns to form associations between neutral and emotional stimuli. The study is based on the basic principles of Pavlovian conditioning.

When someone learns that a neutral stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) predicts an unpleasant stimulus (such as a mild electrical shock), the neutral stimulus takes on the properties of an emotional stimulus.

The investigators are interested in the neural processes involved in this learning in people with a clinical anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Detailed Description

This study uses functional MRI in people with anxiety and stress-related disorders to evaluate the neural correlates of fear conditioning and extinction. During fear conditioning participants see a picture of a face that predicts a mild electrical shock to the wrist. Participants then return the next day to the scanner for a test of fear expression 24-hours after fear conditioning. The investigators are simultaneously measuring autonomic arousal in the scanner using measures of skin conductance responses (i.e., sweating).

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate different forms of Pavlovian fear extinction in patients who suffer from pathological anxiety. The investigators are interested in the effects of extinction and extinction retention over a delay in regions that are known to show abnormalities in anxiety populations. This includes the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus.

The study is testing behavioral strategies and does not include any pharmacological manipulations.

Conditions

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Panic Disorder; Social Phobia; Phobia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Novelty facilitated extinction

Behavioral intervention. After Pavlovian fear conditioning, the shock is omitted and replaced by a novel, surprising, and neutral auditory tone.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Novelty facilitated extinction

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

In the novelty-facilitated extinction design, the aversive outcome (i.e., mild unpleasant electrical pulse) is omitted and replaced by a low volume auditory tone.

Standard extinction

The shock is omitted during standard extinction

Group Type: OTHER

Standard Extinction

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

During standard fear extinction the expected aversive outcome is omitted.

Interventions

Novelty facilitated extinction

In the novelty-facilitated extinction design, the aversive outcome (i.e., mild unpleasant electrical pulse) is omitted and replaced by a low volume auditory tone.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Standard Extinction

During standard fear extinction the expected aversive outcome is omitted.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Male or female volunteer aged 18-50 years old

2. Able to understand procedures and agree to participate in the study by giving written informed consent.

3. Speaks fluent English.

4. Not taking illicit drugs.

5. No history of neurological problems.

6. Eligible for MRI, including no metal in the body or body piercings that cannot be removed.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Current comorbid Axis 1 psychiatric disorder

2. Women who are current pregnant or breastfeeding

3. Lifetime diagnosis of any psychotic disorder, cognitive suicidal ideation, substance abuse or alcohol dependence, hoarding.

4. Medications that act on the central nervous system that interfere with interpretation of the findings (e.g., painkillers, Adderall)

5. Claustrophobia

6. Patients who are unable to comply with procedures or assessments.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Texas at Austin

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Joseph Dunsmoor, PhD

Role: CONTACT

joseph.dunsmoor@austin.utexas.edu

5124955114

Facility Contacts

Joseph Dunsmoor, PhD

Role: primary

joseph.dunsmoor@austin.utexas.edu

512-495-5114

Other Identifiers

UTfearconditioning

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id