Quantifying Multi-step Avoidance in Anxiety
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age22-55
SponsorEmory University
About this trial
This study aims to learn more about avoidance behavior in people with anxiety, using mathematical models of decision-making processes and decoded neural signals of threat imminence.
Researchers are investigating anxiety-related behavior and brain function in people with and without anxiety. Investigators are also looking at how behavior and brain function during tasks in the lab relate to avoidance in their daily lives. The investigators will also test whether changing how people avoid things in a behavioral task affects how people avoid things in their everyday life.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Ability to comprehend written and spoken English
Ability to provide informed consent
Estimated intelligence quotient (IQ) >70.
Clinically significant anxiety symptoms (scoring above clinical cutoff on at least one Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS) anxiety-related subscale and/or OASIS total)
Disqualifiers
Individuals younger than 22 or older than 55,
Individuals with an IQ < 70,
A lifetime history of neurological disorder or brain damage,
Contraindications for undergoing MRI scanning,
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Behavioral Tasks with imaging
BehavioralParticipants will complete the MDP task only during 3 separate fMRI scanning sessions. After each session, they will complete one week of ambulatory assessment of real-world avoidance behavior (self-reported avoidance behavior) via Emory Qualtrics surveys. In a fourth scanning session, the brain signature of threat imminence constructed in the first set of participants (Aim 1) will be used to predict and modify avoidance behavior (on the task and in a further week of ambulatory assessment of avoidance) in these participants. During their last visit, the behavioral task will be modified to decrease the availability of avoidance choices; subsequent effects on EMA and passive sensing measures will be assessed.
Treatment groups
163 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Anxiety and impairing levels of avoidanceExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA)
Participants will complete one week of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess real-world avoidance behaviors after each of the scanning visits. The proportion of assessments where participants report engaging in avoidance behavior in the last hour will be assessed. Changes in the proportion of assessments where avoidance is reported will be used to measure changes in avoidance severity.
Time frame
Baseline, week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 42
Avoidance Severity Based on Location Entropy
Avoidance severity will be assessed using passive sensing of daily location patterns after each fMRI scanning visit. Participants will complete one week of passive sensing of location (using phone-based GPS measures) to assess real-world avoidance behaviors after each of the scanning visits. Changes in location entropy, representing the distribution of unique locations visited per day, will be used to measure changes in avoidance severity. Lower entropy values will indicate greater avoidance severity, while higher values will indicate less avoidance.
Time frame
Baseline, week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 43
Change in Location Entropy
Location entropy, defined as the distribution of unique locations visited per day, will be measured using one week of passive phone-based GPS monitoring after each fMRI scanning visit. This measure reflects variability in movement patterns and real-world avoidance behaviors.
Time frame
Baseline, week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Emory University
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: