NCT04565041 Social Support and Enhanced Fear Extinction
| NCT ID | NCT04565041 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Condition | Fear |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 100 participants |
| Start Date | 2022-02-01 |
| Primary Completion | 2026-07-01 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
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What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 100 participants in total. It began in 2022-02-01 with a primary completion date of 2026-07-01.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
University of California, Los Angeles researchers will recruit healthy participants and anxious participants (those diagnosed with social anxiety disorder) age 18-55 years old to participate in a study examining whether the ability of social support figure reminders to enhance the extinction of fear in healthy participants extends to those with anxiety disorders. After being recruited from the UCLA community (healthy participants, n = 50) or referred by treatment providers at the Anxiety and Depression Research Center at UCLA (anxious participants, n = 50) and undergoing a telephone screening and in-person screening, 100 participants will be enrolled in the study, with an expected recruited 150 to reach this number. During the experiment, all participants will undergo the same procedures: undergoing a fear extinction procedure in which threatening cues--cues that predict electric shock--will be paired with either an image of a social support figure (provided by participants) or an image of a smiling stranger. These pairings will be presented repeatedly in the absence of shock in order for fear extinction to occur. Participants will return for a follow-up test to determine if fear extinction was successful.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * healthy adults 18 to 55 * fluent in English * no history of mental illness (healthy participants: including anxiety, depression, phobia, or any other mental health related disorder diagnosed by a mental health professional) * diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (anxious participants: allowed co-morbid disorders include depression, other anxiety disorders, and PTSD) Exclusion Criteria: * pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the experiment period * presence of chronic mental illness (healthy participants: as determined by the report of a past diagnosis of mental illness by a physician or psychologist and/or the prescription of medication related to mental health disorder; including anxiety, depression, phobia, or any other diagnosed psychological disorder) * presence of non-allowed co-morbid disorders (anxious participants: including, bipolar disorder, psychosis, substance use disorder, neurological disorder, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder) * current and regular use of prescription medications related to mental health disorders
Contact & Investigator
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT04565041 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, up to 55 Years, studying Fear. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT04565041 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT04565041 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at ericahornstien@ucla.edu for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT04565041 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Los Angeles, United States.
Who is sponsoring the NCT04565041 clinical trial?
NCT04565041 is sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles. The trial plans to enroll 100 participants.