Anxiety, Stress
Conditions
Keywords
Anxiety, stress
Brief summary
The present study tested whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) across the prefrontal cortex (PFC), versus sham stimulation, effectively augments the beneficial effects of a gamified attention bias modification training (ABMT) mobile app.
Detailed description
Anxiety-related attentional bias (AB) is the preferential processing of threat observed in clinical and sub-clinical anxiety. Attention bias modification training (ABMT) is a computerized cognitive training technique designed to systematically direct attention away from threat and ameliorate AB, but mixed and null findings have highlighted gaps in our understanding of mechanisms underlying ABMT and how to design the most effective delivery systems. One neuromodulation technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) across the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may augment the effects of ABMT by strengthening top-down cognitive control processes, but the evidence base is limited and has not been generalized to current approaches in digital therapeutics, such as mobile applications. The present study tested whether tDCS across the PFC, versus sham stimulation, effectively augments the beneficial effects of a gamified ABMT mobile app. Thirty-eight adults (Mage = 23.92, SD = 4.75; 18 females) evidencing low-to-moderate anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to active or sham tDCS for 30-minutes while receiving ABMT via a mobile app. Participants reported on potential moderators of ABMT, including life stress and trait anxiety. ECG was recorded during a subsequent stressor to generate respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression as a metric of stress resilience.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALABMT
mobile attention bias modification training for anxiety, using the app Personal Zen
OTHERTranscranial direct current stimulation
Soterix 1X1 tDCS Limited Total Energy (LTE) Stimulator
Sponsors
The City College of New York
Hunter College of City University of New York
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
All participants received active behavioral intervention combined with either active brain stimulation or sham stimulation control
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* mild - moderate anxiety
Exclusion criteria
* psychotic disorder * substance use disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-reported negative mood symptoms | Day 1 | Self report using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS); Higher scores mean more severe negative mood/worse outcomes (scores ranging from 0-42) |
| Self-reported subjective state anxiety | Day 1 | Self report of state anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); Higher scores mean greater anxiety severity/worse outcomes (scores ranging from 20-80). |
| Threat bias, or dsyregulated attention towards threat, measured via computer assay | Day 1 | Using the computerized, reaction time-based cognitive assessment task, the dot probe, biased attention towards or away from threat-relevant information will be assessed based on reaction-time based scoring procedures. Higher scores mean greater bias/worse outcomes |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Magnitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia, or variability in heart rate due to respiration rate | Day 1 | Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), calculated using mobile electrocardiogram, will be assessed during the Trier Social Stress Task, a standardized behavioral assessment of stress. Higher scores mean greater contribution of respiratory rate to heart rate. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed