Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04737915

Virtual Reality Exposure Versus In Vivo Exposure for Fear of Heights

This study randomly assigned 114 participants with significant fear of heights to one of three conditions: a) a single session of virtual reality exposure; b) a single session of in vivo exposure; or c) a control condition. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of virtual reality exposure to the efficacy of in vivo exposure or no exposure for participants with significant fear of heights.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Fear of Heights Acrophobia Anxiety Disorder Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders Phobia, Specific Specific Phobia

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Score >= 45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)

Exclusion criteria

  • Already receiving therapy specifically for fear of heights.
  • Has any contraindications to using a virtual reality headset.

Treatment and study plan

Exposure Therapy (In Vivo)

Behavioral

Participant completes a single session of exposure therapy for fear of heights by looking over railings into an atrium at various floor levels in a virtual environment.

Exposure Therapy (Virtual Reality)

Behavioral

Participant completes a single session of exposure therapy for fear of heights by looking over railings into an atrium at various floor levels in a real environment.

Primary outcomes

  1. Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)

    Time frame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Scores)

    Participants completed the anxiety subscale of the AQ, a 20-item questionnaire that assesses self-reported anxiety related to acrophobia. Scores for the subscale are summed, and totals range from 0 to 120, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety.

  2. Behavioral Approach Task (BAT)

    Time frame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Scores)

    Participants walked up a staircase until they reach the highest level they can complete, while stopping to look over the ledge toward the floor at each landing. During each BAT, fear response was assessed behaviorally (highest step reached) and subjectively (self reported levels of fear).

  3. Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)

    Time frame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Scores)

    Participants completed the HIQ, a 16-item questionnaire that assesses self-reported interpretations of an imagined experience of heights. Items are summed scored, and totals ranged from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater height fear-relevant interpretation bias.

  4. Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)

    Time frame: 1-Week Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Scores)

    Participants completed the anxiety subscale of the AQ, a 20-item questionnaire that assesses self-reported anxiety related to acrophobia. Scores for the subscale are summed, and totals range from 0 to 120, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety.

  5. Behavioral Approach Task (BAT)

    Time frame: 1-Week Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Scores)

    Participants walked up a staircase until they reach the highest level they can complete, while stopping to look over the ledge toward the floor at each landing. During each BAT, fear response was assessed behaviorally (highest step reached) and subjectively (self reported levels of fear).

  6. Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)

    Time frame: 1-Week Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Scores)

    Participants completed the HIQ, a 16-item questionnaire that assesses self-reported interpretations of an imagined experience of heights. Items are summed scored, and totals ranged from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater height fear-relevant interpretation bias.

Other outcomes

  1. Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)

    Time frame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment

    The ASI is a 16 item measure assessing participants' fear of and sensitivity to physiological symptoms of anxiety. Scores range from 0-64, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety sensitivity.

  2. Affective Control Scale (ACS) - Anxiety Subscale

    Time frame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment

    The 13-item anxiety subscale of the ACS measures participants' fear tolerance. Scores range from 13-91, with higher scores indicating lower levels of anxiety fear tolerance.

  3. High Place Phenomenon Index (HPPI)

    Time frame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment

    The HPPI is a 3-item measure that assesses participants' self-reported experience of the high place phenomenon. Scores range from 3-21, with higher scores indicating more frequent experience of the high place phenomenon.

  4. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) - 8 item version

    Time frame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment

    The PHQ is traditionally a 9 item measure, but this study used an 8 item version that did not include item 9 (assessing suicidality). Scores on this version range from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating higher levels of depressive symptoms.

  5. DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5) Severity Measure for Specific Phobia (Adapted for Acrophobia)

    Time frame: Baseline, Immediately Post-Treatment; 1 Week Post-Treatment

    Participants completed the DSM-5 Severity Measure, a 10-item questionnaire that assesses the severity of DSM-5 symptoms of specific phobias. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher levels of specific phobia symptomology.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Notre Dame

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparing the Efficacy of a Single-Session Virtual Reality Treatment for Fear of Heights to In Vivo Exposure and No Treatment

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Feb 4, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 8, 2021

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.