Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Agoraphobia, panic disorder, Virtual Reality Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, cognition, spatial cognition, PANIC DISORDER WITH AGORAPHOBIA
Brief summary
The study aims at comparing virtual reality therapy (VRT) with a usual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) program for agoraphobia. A waiting list represents the control condition. The investigators' purpose is to test a pure VRT compared with a pure CBT, as previous works suggest that the combination of the two methods are clinically effective. Patients receive a two-page information leaflet about the trial and sign an informed consent. After the first evaluation, they are randomized, in three centers (Lyon, Paris, Luxemburg), either to VRT (12 sessions) or CBT (12 sessions), or a waiting-list control condition for three months. After three months the waiting list is randomized to VRT or CBT. The follow-up is one year from entry into the active part of the trial.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVirtual Reality Therapy
BEHAVIORALCognitive Behavior Therapy
Sponsors
Hospices Civils de Lyon
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
ECT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* The study includes 90 patients, aged from 18 to 60, with DSM-4 panic disorder with agoraphobia. * Patients should not be clinically depressed and present a Hamilton Scale of Depression score of less than 18.
Exclusion criteria
* Patients with active medication (antidepressants, neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines, Kava Kava, or hypericum) or street drugs. Minor herbal medicine is tolerated.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The response criterion is a decrease of 50% of the agoraphobia subscore on the Fear Questionnaire | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Panic Disorder Severity Scale | — |
| Agoraphobic cognitions | — |
| Panic, phobia, generalized anxiety | — |
| Trait State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | — |
| Hamilton Anxiety Scale | — |
| Pre-test, post-test, 6 months and one year | — |
| Beck Depression Inventory | — |
| Quality of Life, handicap | — |
| Spatial cognition: Rey's Figure and Rod and Frame test | — |
| Therapeutic expectations (pre-test) | — |
| Therapeutic relationship (post-test) | — |
| Dissociative experiences | — |
Countries
France
Outcome results
None listed