Attention guidance augmentation of virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: Biased attention to social threats has been implicated in social anxiety disorder. Modifying visual attention during exposure therapy offers a direct test of this mechanism. We developed and tested a brief virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) protocol using 360°-video and eye tracking. Participants (N = 21) were randomized to either standard VRET or VRET + attention guidance training (AGT). Multilevel Bayesian models were used to test (1) whether there was an effect of condition over time and (2) whether post-treatment changes in gaze patterns mediated the effect of condition at follow-up. There was a large overall effect of the intervention on symptoms of social anxiety, as well as an effect of the AGT augmentation on changes in visual attention to audience members. There was weak evid

SUBMITTER: Rubin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9458616 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature