Application of Virtual Reality Technology to Treatment of Social Anxiety

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare CBT VR exposure + VR social skills treatment to CBT Imaginal exposure + mindfulness, in reducing the severity of social anxiety in adults with autism and social anxiety (SA), to identify characteristics associated with benefitting from the CBT-VR treatment and to assess acceptability and feasibility of the VR intervention for patients receiving it and use findings to improve methods and to prepare for a community based pragmatic trial.

Conditions

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (diagnosed by a qualified professional) - verbal and literate in English or Spanish - average or greater intellectual ability, based on history and interview - able to operate a computer (Windows or Mac).

Exclusion Criteria

  • current or historical severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression - intellectual disability or a learning disability that would interfere with participating (e.g., unable to read) - unable use the technology or do not have access to the technology - unable to read

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Non-Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Virtual Reality (VR) assisted Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
  • Behavioral: CBT
    Participants will receive will receive 12 weeks of weekly CBT for Social Anxiety, including an intervention to improve conversational skills. The CBT for Social Anxiety will include "imaginal exposure", which is a way of using the imagination to work with situations that produce anxiety. Participants will also receive a mindfulness intervention.
  • Device: VR
    The VR software, the Virtual Communicator (VC) consists of a highly realistic avatar that interacts with the client in one of several situations. The therapist controls its gestures, facial expressions, body movements, and speech and builds and saves modular combinations of gestures and facial expressions that can be assembled in any order to create a conversational interaction. The software has two adult avatars of ambiguous race/ethnicity, male and female. The VC is delivered without a headset interactively over the internet, on a secure, password-protected connection that increase access by not requiring headsets and not requiring the client to come to the office. The VC can be done in English, or in Spanish where appropriate. Treatment will be done for 12 sessions. The VR software is used to provide CBT exposures to reduce anxiety and also to practice social interactions.
Active Comparator
CBT alone
  • Behavioral: CBT
    Participants will receive will receive 12 weeks of weekly CBT for Social Anxiety, including an intervention to improve conversational skills. The CBT for Social Anxiety will include "imaginal exposure", which is a way of using the imagination to work with situations that produce anxiety. Participants will also receive a mindfulness intervention.

Recruiting Locations

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, Texas 77030
Contact:
Katherine Loveland, PhD
(713) 486-2587
Katherine.A.Loveland@uth.tmc.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study Contact

Katherine Loveland, PhD
713-486-2587
Katherine.A.Loveland@uth.tmc.edu