NCT Number: NCT07812233
Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) is a breathing-based intervention that reduces anxiety in a range of populations. Second-generation wearable HRVB devices not only deliver scheduled biofeedback practice sessions but also allow patients to practice HRVB in-the-moment when it is needed most. This study is testing the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of second-generation, ambulatory HRVB for the treatment of anxiety in autistic youth.
Trial opening soon.
Get Notified12 year–17 year
All sexes
Interventional
Phase 2
Fifty youth with autism and clinically significant anxiety will be recruited to participate in a single-arm, 8-week open-label, fully remote trial of HRVB. Participants will utilize the Lief Smart Patch which delivers HRVB training and practice through an embedded ECG monitor, accelerometer, and companion smartphone app. Specific aims of the research include: 1) Determine the acceptability and feasibility of second generation HRVB in autistic youth; and 2) Evaluate the preliminary efficacy of HRVB for the treatment of anxiety in autistic youth.
Healthy volunteers accepted: No
Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.
Inclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria
The Lief Smart Patch is a commercially available, noninvasive wearable heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) device. The patch includes an embedded electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor and accelerometer that interfaces with a companion smartphone application to deliver paced breathing exercises and just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) prompts. It is an externally worn patch that temporarily adheres to the skin surface and can be removed by the participant.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The PARS, a clinician-administered measure of child anxiety symptom severity based on both patient and parent-report will be the primary outcome measure. It has demonstrated inter-rater and test-retest reliability, and has previously been used by our group as the primary outcome measure in a RCT of mirtazapine for anxiety in youth with ASD, demonstrating sensitivity to change. The 5-item PARS score will be the primary outcome measure for this trial. Scaled score ranges from 0-25 with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 8. Week 8 score reported.
The Clinical Global Impressions Global Improvement (CGI-I) is designed to take into account all factors to arrive at an assessment of response to treatment. The CGI-I scale ranges from 1 to 7 (1=very much improved; 2=much improved; 3=minimally improved; 4=no change; 5=minimally worse; 6=much worse; 7=very much worse), with lower scales indicating improvement (1=very much improved; 2=much improved). In this study, the CGI-I will be focused on the target symptom of anxiety.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported.
The CGI-S is rated on a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 = normal, not at all ill; 3 = mildly ill; 5 = markedly ill; 7 = among the most extremely ill patients. The CGI-S will be rated based on the severity of anxiety symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported.
The PRAS-ASD is a novel parent-rated 25-item scale with demonstrated reliability and validity. Scores range from 0-75, with higher scores indicating more severe parent-rated anxiety.
Time frame: Week 8
Mean Likert rating on the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ) Standalone Apps for Patients. The MAUQ includes 18 questions, each rated on a Likert scale of 1-7. Total scores range from 18-126, with higher scores indicating increased usability.
Time frame: Week 8
Proportion of enrolled youth meeting the scheduled daily practice criterion (≥50% study days with ≥5 minutes combined JITAI-delivered and self-initiated HRVB practice).
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The ABC-2 is a 58-item questionnaire with 5 subscales derived by factor analysis. It has been extensively used in psychopharmacological studies of ASD and assesses many symptoms that are either central to autism or frequently a target of treatment. The Irritability Subscale is derived from 15 items, with a score range from 0-45, where higher scores indicate more severe irritability.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The ABC-2 is a 58-item questionnaire with 5 subscales derived by factor analysis. It has been extensively used in psychopharmacological studies of ASD and assesses many symptoms that are either central to autism or frequently a target of treatment. The Lethargy/Withdrawal Subscale is derived from 16 items, with a score range from 0-48 where higher scores indicate more severe Lethargy/Withdrawal symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The ABC-2 is a 58-item questionnaire with 5 subscales derived by factor analysis. It has been extensively used in psychopharmacological studies of ASD and assesses many symptoms that are either central to autism or frequently a target of treatment. The Stereotypic Behavior Subscale is derived from 7 items, with a score range of 0-21 where higher scores indicate more severe stereotypic behaviors.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The ABC-2 is a 58-item questionnaire with 5 subscales derived by factor analysis. It has been extensively used in psychopharmacological studies of ASD and assesses many symptoms that are either central to autism or frequently a target of treatment. The Hyperactivity Subscale is derived from 16 items with a score range of 0-48, where severe scores indicate more severe hyperactivity symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The ABC-2 is a 58-item questionnaire with 5 subscales derived by factor analysis. It has been extensively used in psychopharmacological studies of ASD and assesses many symptoms that are either central to autism or frequently a target of treatment. The Inappropriate Speech Subscale is derived from 4 items with a score range of 0-12, where higher scores indicate more severe Inappropriate Speech symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 reported
The ADHD-RS is an 18-question, parent-rated assessment reflecting DSM symptoms of ADHD. The score range is 0-54, with higher scores indicating more severe ADHD symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8; Change from Baseline to Week 8 is reported
The CSHQ is a 52-question parent survey used to assess sleep difficulties. 33 items are used to generate the total score, which ranges from 33-99, with a cutoff of >41 suggesting clinically significant sleep problems. Higher scores are indicative of more severe sleep problems.
Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Other
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