Anxiety
Conditions
Keywords
visual processing
Brief summary
High trait anxiety, a stable personality trait, is a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Individuals with high trait anxiety have difficulty differentiating safety from threat, including visual information like emotional faces. This study aims to characterize visual system function in high trait anxiety. A portion of this study involves an intervention. For the intervention portion, a subset of participants will be asked to return for a lab visit upon completing the first portion of the study (multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan). During this follow up visit, participants will complete a computer task that involves looking at faces and identifying emotions. Participants will complete this task either six months or twelve months after their MRI scan visit. Results from this research have the potential to inform novel therapies that target the visual system in individuals at risk for the development of psychiatric disorders.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study is to understand how people with anxious personalities process emotional facial expressions. The intervention portion of this study is part of a larger study. The first portion of this study consists of a screening visit with questionnaires, and a second visit with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and short computer tasks. For the intervention portion of this study, a subset of participants will return to the lab for an in-person visit either six or twelve months after their MRI scan. This visit will last approximately two hours. Participants will be asked to complete a computer task where they will be asked to identify emotional face expressions and receive feedback on their performance. They will also complete questionnaires about their mood and emotions. The primary purpose of this research is to gather scientific information about how people with anxiety process social and emotional information.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFacial Microexpression Training
The METT is a well-validated task designed to improve perception of subtle changes in facial expressions, termed microexpressions. Participants with high trait anxiety will return to the lab approximately six months post scan visit to complete this computer-based task. They will receive feedback during the task on their accuracy.
Sponsors
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
The study team will use a waitlist-control design. A subset of participants will return to complete visual training using the Micro Expression Training Tool (METT). Half of these participants will complete the task at their first follow up visit (approximately six months post scan), and half will complete the task at their second follow up visit (approximately twelve months post scan). The METT presents videos of micro expressions; participants receive real-time feedback following forced choice emotional identification. The METT includes a brief pre-test, training, and then a post-test. We will collect performance accuracy data. This behavioral task will provide preliminary feasibility data for the development of interventions with visual system targets by helping the investigators determine if the METT is tolerable in individuals with high trait anxiety.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Young adults varying continuously in trait anxiety as assessed by the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). * HTA participants with STAI trait scores of ≥44
Exclusion criteria
* contraindication to MRI * history of head trauma or loss of consciousness * major medical or neurological illness * current psychiatric medication usage or use in the last three months * alcohol/substance abuse or dependence and/or illicit substance use (excepting cannabis) in the last three months
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerability of the Micro Expression Training Task in Individuals With High Anxiety | six or twelve months post-scan visit | Rates of completion of the behavioral task |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Pre-assignment details
Participants complete baseline visit and functional MRI scan prior to randomization to trial arms. Only participants with high trait anxiety, as assessed by the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory at baseline visit, are randomized to a trial arm.
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| 6 Month Micro Expression Training Task The Micro Expression Training Task (METT) presents videos of subtle emotional face expressions; participants receive real-time feedback following forced choice emotional identification. The METT includes a brief pre-test, training, and then a post-test.
Facial Microexpression Training: The METT is a well-validated task designed to improve perception of subtle changes in facial expressions, termed microexpressions. Participants with high trait anxiety will return to the lab approximately six months post scan visit to complete this computer-based task. They will receive feedback during the task on their accuracy. | 7 |
| 12 Month Micro Expression Training Task The Micro Expression Training Task (METT) presents videos of subtle emotional face expressions; participants receive real-time feedback following forced choice emotional identification. The METT includes a brief pre-test, training, and then a post-test. Participants in this group will complete this task twelve month after their first visit.
Facial Microexpression Training: The METT is a well-validated task designed to improve perception of subtle changes in facial expressions, termed microexpressions. Participants with high trait anxiety will return to the lab approximately six months post scan visit to complete this computer-based task. They will receive feedback during the task on their accuracy. | 8 |
| Total | 15 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Computer error- task was only partially completed. | 0 | 1 |
| Overall Study | Lost to Follow-up | 2 | 1 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | 6 Month Micro Expression Training Task | 12 Month Micro Expression Training Task | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 7 Participants | 8 Participants | 15 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 25.08 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.05 | 22.91 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.29 | 23.92 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.27 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 6 Participants | 8 Participants | 14 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 3 Participants | 2 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 3 Participants | 6 Participants | 9 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 7 participants | 8 participants | 15 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 10 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 2 Participants | 3 Participants | 5 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 7 | 0 / 8 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 7 | 0 / 8 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 7 | 0 / 8 |
Outcome results
Primary
Tolerability of the Micro Expression Training Task in Individuals With High Anxiety
Rates of completion of the behavioral task
Time frame: six or twelve months post-scan visit
Population: Participants from a larger study with high trait anxiety were randomized to either a 6 month or 12 month arm.
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Month Micro Expression Training Task | Tolerability of the Micro Expression Training Task in Individuals With High Anxiety | 5 Participants |
| 12 Month Micro Expression Training Task | Tolerability of the Micro Expression Training Task in Individuals With High Anxiety | 6 Participants |