Improving the efficacy of exposure therapy using projection-based augmented reality for the treatment of cockroach phobia: a randomised clinical trial protocol

Introduction: In vivo exposure is the treatment of choice for specific phobia (SP), but this technique presents limitations related to access and acceptability. Augmented reality (AR) offers advantages like maximising strategies such as ‘variability’ (varying stimuli, durations, levels of intensity or the order of the items), control by the therapist, or ‘exposure to multiple contexts’, which can produce positive effects in terms of fear renewal and generalisation of the results. The aim of this study is to test the efficacy of varying the phobic stimuli during treatment with AR: using multiple stimuli (MS) versus a single stimulus (SS) in participants with SP. Methods and analysis: Participants (N=80) with a diagnosis of an SP of cockroaches will be randomised into two conditions: (1) projection-based AR exposure therapy with MS (P-ARET MS); (2) P-ARET with an SS (P-ARET SS). The measures are related to the efficacy results (fear, avoidance and negative thoughts, performance on the behavioural avoidance test (BAT) and preferences). The primary outcome measure is the BAT, and the secondary outcome measures are the BAT through AR, Fear of Cockroaches Questionnaire, Cockroach Phobia Beliefs Questionnaire, Fear and Avoidance Scales Patient’s Improvement Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition. Five evaluation moments will be included: preintervention, postintervention, and 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups. The treatment will follow the guidelines of the ‘one-session treatment’. Student’s t-tests to compare the two groups on the post-test will be applied. In addition, two-way analysis of variances with repeated measures in one of the two factors (pretest, post-test and follow-ups) will be carried out to compare intragroup differences. Ethics and dissemination: The Universitat Jaume I Ethics Committee (Castellón, Spain) granted approval for the study (CD/64/2019). Dissemination will include publications and presentations at national and international conferences

Effectiveness of a projection-based augmented reality exposure system in treating cockroach phobia: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Background: Despite being the treatment of choice for phobic disorders, in vivo exposure treatment (IVET) presents some important limitations related mainly to low acceptance and high drop-out rates. Augmented reality (AR) technologies can help to overcome these limitations. Evidence supports the use of AR in exposure treatment for small animal phobia. A new projection-based AR exposure treatment system (P-ARET) that offers the possibility of projecting the animals in a natural and non-intrusive environment has been developed. There are no randomised controlled trials (RCTs) available that have tested the efficacy of this system in cockroach phobia. This paper aims to present the protocol of an RCT that evaluates the efficacy of the P-ARET, versus an IVET group and a waiting list control group (WL), in carrying out exposure treatment for cockroach phobia. Methods/design: Participants will be randomly allocated to one of three conditions: (1) P-ARET, (2) IVET and (3) WL. Both treatment conditions will follow the ‘one-session treatment’ guidelines. As a diagnostic measure, the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders-Version 5 will be used. The Behavioral Avoidance Test will be used as the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures will include an attentional biases task (measured using eye-tracking technology), the Fear of Cockroaches Questionnaire, Cockroach Phobia Beliefs Questionnaire, Fear and Avoidance Scales, Beck Depression Inventory second edition, Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised-12, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Clinician Severity Scale, and Expectation and Satisfaction with the Treatment Scale. The evaluation protocol will include pretreatment and post-treatment evaluations and 1, 6 and 12 months of follow-ups. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be performed. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Universitat Jaume I (Castellón, Spain; 13 December 2019). The results of the presented RCT will be disseminated in presentations at international scientific meetings and peer-reviewed scientific journals.Funding for the study was provided by Grant Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Spain) (Programa Estatal I+D+I) (grant number: RTI2018-100993-B-100) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by 'ERDF A way of making Europe', by the European Union.Funding for the study was provided by Grant Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Spain) (Programa Estatal I+D+i RTI2018-100993-B-100) funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by 'ERDF A way of making Europe', by the 'European Union'

Effect of the schudele of conditioning on the extration of conditioned place preference and the expression of e-FOS induced by cocaine in mice

Treball Final de Grau en Psicologia. Codi: PS1048. Curs: 2017/201

Effect of an Internet-based Intervention for Adjustment Disorder on the purpose in life

Treball Final de Màster Universitari en Psicologia General Sanitària. Codi: SBF018. Curs acadèmic: 2019/2020El sentido de la vida (SV) es un factor importante de resiliencia frente a los comportamientos y síntomas negativos. Personas con un SV más alto muestran mejores estrategias de regulación emocional, mayor percepción de control sobre la vida y mejor salud mental en general. El trastorno adaptativo (TA) es frecuente y se caracteriza por una marcada angustia. Se define por la incapacidad de adaptarse a un evento estresante. Objetivo: Este trabajo presenta datos de análisis secundarios sobre el efecto de una intervención de terapia cognitivo-conductual (iTCC) administrada a través de Internet (TAO) en el SV, en comparación con un grupo control lista de espera (LE).Meaning in Life (MIL) is an important factor of resilience against negative behaviors and symptoms. People who have a higher MIL show better emotional regulation strategies, a greater perception of control over life and better mental health in general. Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is a prevalent condition and is characterized by marked distress. It is defined by the failure to adapt to a stressful event. Objective: This work presents secondary analysis data about the effect of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) intervention (TAO) for AjD on MIL, compared with a Waiting-List Control Group (WL)

Cockroaches are scarier than snakes and spiders: Validation of an affective standardized set of animal images (ASSAI)

This is a pre-print of an article published in Behavior Research Methods. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01577-7Research on emotional processes has been closely related to the use of emotional stimuli, promoting the development of different standardized sets of images. However, some kinds of images that would be relevant in clinical psychology research are not available, especially for small animal phobias. The aim of the present study is to validate a set of animal images that includes images of cockroaches, which are not present in the current sets of images. Two hundred and forty images depicting five types of animals (cockroaches, spiders, snakes, cats, and butterflies) were collected from online public domains. Four hundred and twenty-four participants (72.9% women) took part in the study rating the images in two affective dimensions (i.e., valence and arousal). Cockroach pictures were rated as significantly more unpleasant than pictures of spiders, snakes, butterflies, and cats. Moreover, results revealed that women rated cockroach, spider, and snake pictures as more negative than men did. Also, women in comparison with men rated cockroach images as more arousing. The results highlight the importance of using images of cockroaches, due to their high negative valence, which even exceeds that of snakes and spiders, the unpleasant animals typically used in phobic research. This set of images can be useful in research on small-animal phobias

A blended intervention for adjustment disorder: Study protocol for a feasibility trial

Adjustment disorder (AjD) is a maladaptive response to one or more psychosocial stressors. In many cases, the symptomatology of this disorder disappears once the stressor or its consequences are no longer present. However, in some cases, if left untreated, the symptoms may worsen and develop into a more severe mental disorder. In this regard, different authors propose that a low-intensity intervention may be suitable for this disorder. Previous studies with other mental disorders and with patients with AjD found that blended interventions can be a viable and effective option. The aim of this study is to analyze the feasibility (the participants' expectations and preferences, the satisfaction and acceptance, the appropriateness of different methods of recruitment and data collection, and the reasons for dropping out) of a blended cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBT) for AjD that combines the use of a self-applied Internet-based program with videoconference sessions with a therapist. As a secondary objective, the potential efficacy of this intervention will be tested

Neural correlates of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in the posterior cerebellar cortex

Introduction: Addictive drugs are potent neuropharmacological agents capable of inducing long-lasting changes in learning and memory neurocircuitry. With repeated use, contexts and cues associated with consumption can acquire motivational and reinforcing properties of abused drugs, triggering drug craving and relapse. Neuroplasticity underlying drug-induced memories takes place in prefrontal-limbic-striatal networks. Recent evidence suggests that the cerebellum is also involved in the circuitry responsible for drug-induced conditioning. In rodents, preference for cocaine-associated olfactory cues has been shown to correlate with increased activity at the apical part of the granular cell layer in the posterior vermis (lobules VIII and IX). It is important to determine if the cerebellum’s role in drug conditioning is a general phenomenon or is limited to a particular sensory modality. Methods: The present study evaluated the role of the posterior cerebellum (lobules VIII and IX), together with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and nucleus accumbens (NAc) using a cocaine-induced conditioned place preference procedure with tactile cues. Cocaine CPP was tested using ascending (3, 6, 12, and 24 mg/kg) doses of cocaine in mice. Results: Compared to control groups (Unpaired and Saline animals), Paired mice were able to show a preference for the cues associated with cocaine. Increased activation (cFos expression) of the posterior cerebellum was found in cocaine CPP groups and showed a positive correlation with CPP levels. Such increases in cFos activity in the posterior cerebellum significantly correlated with cFos expression in the mPFC. Discussion: Our data suggest that the dorsal region of the cerebellum could be an important part of the network that mediates cocaine-conditioned behavior

Effect of an internet-based intervention for adjustment disorder on meaning in life and enjoyment

Introduction: Positive psychological variables, such as meaning in life and the capacity for enjoyment, are important resilience factors against negative behaviors and symptoms. These constructs are related to better emotional regulation strategies, a greater perception of control over one’s life, and better mental health in general. Adjustment disorder (AjD) is a prevalent condition defined as the failure to adapt to a stressful event. Objective: This study presents secondary analysis data on the effect of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention (iCBT) for AjD on meaning in life and capacity for enjoyment, compared to a control group. Method: The sample consisted of 68 participants with AjD. 34 in the iCBT condition and 34 in the control group). Meaning in life was assessed by the Purpose-in-Life Test-10, and the Environmental Rewards Observation Scale was used to assess the capacity for enjoyment. The iCBT intervention focused on acceptance and processing of the stressful event. Intent-to-treat mixed-model analyses without any ad hoc imputations and using Cohen’s d effect comparisons were conducted. Results: The results revealed a significant main effect of time and a significant group x time interaction in all the measures. Significantly higher pre-post score differences were found in the treatment condition. Discussion: Meaning in life and capacity for enjoyment can change after an iCBT intervention for AjD. Therapeutic implications of the results and future lines of research about the role of meaning in life in AjD are discussed.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume IOpen Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain; Plan Nacional I + D + I. PSI2013-41783-R)