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Differential Effects of in Vivo and Virtual Exposure Therapy in Agoraphobia

NCT06514495 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 68

Last updated 2025-09-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia, are prevalent in the German population, leading affected individuals to avoid specific places like crowds or public transport. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure is an effective treatment, many patients resort to medication rather than therapy. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) shows promise in easing exposure treatment with customizable scenarios. Interoception (body symptom perception) and the endocannabinoid system are explored as factors in maintaining agoraphobia. Studies investigate how therapies like exposure (both in vivo and in VR) impact these factors and treatment outcomes. Interoception, especially in panic disorder patients, plays a crucial role, with accurate heartbeat perception linked to maintaining anxiety. The endocannabinoid system, affecting various functions, is studied for its role in therapy outcomes and its modulation of the body's stress response. The study aims to understand how these systems interact in agoraphobic patients and how therapy affects their functionality.

Conditions

Interventions

OTHER

Therapy

Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy with exposure

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Katja Petrowski, Prof, · University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-05-01
Primary Completion
2026-08-01
Completion
2027-08-01

Countries

  • Germany

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06514495 on ClinicalTrials.gov