Fear Conditioning Using Computer-Generated Virtual Reality

Completed

Conditions studied: Anxiety Disorder

In brief

The purpose of this study is to use a computer-generated virtual reality environment to study fear conditioning. Fear conditioning is used to explore the causes and persistence of anxiety and anxiety disorders. When confronted with fearful or unpleasant events, people can develop fear of specific cues that were associated with these events as well as to the environmental context in which the events occurred via a process called classical or aversive conditioning. Advances in computer-generated visual stimulations could facilitate the design of new aversive conditioning studies. This study will develop a virtual reality environment to examine human contextual fear conditioning in the laboratory. During the procedure, moderately painful stimuli will be administered. Participants in this study will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, psychiatric evaluation, and hearing test. Participants will wear headphones and special goggles that will enable them to view a virtual reality environment. Measures will be taken during the study to see how the brain adapts to environmental stimuli.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT00025844
Run by
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
People needed
202
Starts
2001-10-22
Expected to finish
2012-04-10
Last updated by the study team
2017-07-02

Who can join

Age: 7 and older, up to 50. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may not qualify if…

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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