Summary

Eligibility
for people ages 18 years and up (full criteria)
Location
at Los Angeles, California
Dates
study started
completion around
Principal Investigator
by Michelle G Craske, Ph.D

Description

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms.

VR-Reward Training is a novel intervention aimed at enhancing savoring of positive experiences among individuals with depression and low positive affect through guided imaginal recounting following immersion in positive VR experiences.

Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomly assigned to 7 weeks of either Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) or Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT). Participants will complete in-person VR sessions, laboratory assessments, self-report questionnaires as part of the study.

The total length of participation is around 3 months.

Details

Anhedonia, or loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities, has been relatively resistant to pharmacological and psychological treatments in the context of anxiety and depression. Newer treatments that focus upon positivity or reward sensitivity have shown promising results.

The purpose of the current randomized controlled trial is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. Virtual Reality-Reward Training is designed to augment reward sensitivity in individuals with depression and low positive affect. Targets include behavioral, cognitive, and self-report indices of reward anticipation and initial response to reward. Specificity of target engagement is assessed by comparison with Virtual Reality-Memory Training, designed to improve memory.

Targets and clinical outcomes are assessed at baseline (Week 1) and either weekly or at mid-treatment (Week 3), post-treatment (Week 7), and follow-up (Week 12). Statistical models evaluate whether change in outcomes and change in target measures are greater as a result of Virtual Reality-Reward Training compared to Virtual-Reality-Memory Training and whether changes in target measures correlate with changes in outcome measures.

Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomized to Virtual Reality-Reward Training or Virtual-Reality Memory Training, each comprising 7 individual virtual reality training sessions over the course of 7 weeks.

Participants will complete laboratory tests and self-report questionnaires as part of the study. Total length of participation is around 3 months.

Keywords

Positive Affect, Depression, Anhedonia, Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT), Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)

Eligibility

You can join if…

Open to people ages 18 years and up

  1. At least 18 years old
  2. Fluent in written and spoken English
  3. Meet all of the following dimensional score cutoffs:
    1. Score on the DASS-21 depression subscale must be ≥ 11
    2. Score on the PANAS-P of 24 or lower
    3. Score on the SDS of ≥ 6
  4. Willingness to refrain from initiating other psychosocial treatments throughout the duration of the study

You CAN'T join if...

  1. Lifetime history of bipolar disorder, psychosis, mental retardation, or organic brain damage
  2. Substance use disorder in the past 6 months
  3. Current use of psychotropic medications
  4. Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  5. Self-reported frequent motion sickness
  6. Self-reported seizures within the last year and/or a diagnosis of epilepsy

Location

  • University of California, Los Angeles accepting new patients
    Los Angeles California 90095 United States

Lead Scientist at UCLA

Details

Status
accepting new patients
Start Date
Completion Date
(estimated)
Sponsor
University of California, Los Angeles
ID
NCT05342077
Phase
Phase 1 research study
Study Type
Interventional
Participants
Expecting 80 study participants
Last Updated