Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01450306

Exposure, D-cycloserine Enhancement, and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in Snake Phobics

The aim of the present study is to determine whether people receiving d-cycloserine and exposure therapy show different brain reactions to symptom provocation compared to people receiving placebo and exposure therapy.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Specific Phobia Phobia, Specific

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital

Hartford, Connecticut, 06106, United States

About this study

D-cycloserine (DCS) is a partial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist that may improve or accelerate extinction learning. We will randomly assign people with snake phobia to receive DCS or placebo, and then provide all participants with exposure therapy. We will examine whether people receiving DCS and vs. placebo show different brain reactions to symptom provocation before and after exposure therapy.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Primary diagnosis of specific phobia (snakes)

Exclusion criteria

  • History of psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or mania
  • Recent substance abuse or suicidality
  • Previous receipt of study treatments

Treatment and study plan

D-cycloserine

Drug

50 mg d-cycloserine, oral, 1 dose

Exposure Therapy

Behavioral

Single session graded in vivo exposure therapy, 60-180 minutes

Placebo

Drug

Single capsule of oral placebo, administered once 1 hr prior to exposure therapy

Primary outcomes

  1. Snake Questionnaire (SNAQ)

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    30-item self-report scale of severity of snake fear and avoidance

    Range: 0-30; higher values indicate greater fear severity

Secondary outcomes

  1. Clinician's Global Impression (CGI)-Severity

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Clinician rating of global illness severity (at pre- and post-treatment)

    CGI-Severity range 1-7; higher scores indicate greater illness severity.

  2. Clinician's Global Impression (CGI)-Improvement

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Clinician rating of global illness severity (at post-treatment)

    CGI-Improvement range 1-7; higher scores indicate poorer improvement; classified as responder if score = 1 or 2, nonresponder if score > 2

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hartford Hospital

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2010
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Oct 12, 2011
Registry last updated
Mar 15, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.