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Behavioral Intervention

Very Brief Exposure for Social Anxiety Disorder

N/A
Recruiting
Led By Bradley S Peterson, MD
Research Sponsored by Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Males and females aged 16-22 with a DSM-5 diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) on K-SADS-COMP or NetSCID
Be younger than 65 years old
Must not have
Primary language other than English or Spanish
Current psychoactive medication
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up day 2
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial aims to understand how brief exposure to certain stimuli affects young people with social anxiety disorder. The researchers want to develop new ways to help those with social anxiety. They will measure brain activity in response

Who is the study for?
This trial is for transition-age youth with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Participants will be involved in an interview and MRI scans where they'll rate images of facial expressions. Key eligibility details are not provided, so interested individuals should inquire about specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
What is being tested?
The study tests a new method called Very Brief Exposure (VBE) to see how it affects brain activity related to fear and attention in young people with SAD. It involves measuring brain responses using MRI while participants view facial expressions.
What are the potential side effects?
There may be minimal side effects associated with this trial, primarily related to discomfort from the MRI procedure or distress from exposure to the stimuli used during testing.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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I am between 16 and 22 years old and have been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:
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My primary language is neither English nor Spanish.
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I am taking medication for my mental health.
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I am currently diagnosed with depression.
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I have no metal implants, braces, tattoos with metal, or non-removable patches.
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My primary language is not English or Spanish.
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I do not have serious conditions like Lupus, cancer, or HIV.
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I have been diagnosed with PTSD.
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I have not had a psychiatric disorder in the past 2 years.
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I do not have any serious neurological or medical conditions.
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I am taking medication for my mental health.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~day 2
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and day 2 for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Mean Activation of Frontostriatal and Prefrontal Brain Regions to disgusted facial expression in Social Anxiety
Mean activation of regions subserving emotion, emotion regulation, and attention processing. Mean deactivation of the Default Mode Network.
Secondary study objectives
Fear induced by exposure to disgusted facial expression in healthy participants as measured by fear scale
Fear induced by exposure to disgusted facial expression in youth with social anxiety as measured by fear scale

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Image Exposure ArmExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants will see various images of facial expressions on a computer screen and provide various rating scores about them.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)NIH
2,936 Previous Clinical Trials
2,751,561 Total Patients Enrolled
Children's Hospital Los AngelesLead Sponsor
249 Previous Clinical Trials
5,074,594 Total Patients Enrolled
Bradley S Peterson, MDPrincipal InvestigatorChildren's Hospital Los Angeles
~53 spots leftby Jan 2026