Evaluating Carbon Dioxide Reactivity to Predict Non-Response to Exposure-Based Therapy for Anxiety, OCD, and Trauma-Related Disorders in Adults

What this Trial Is About

Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, trauma-, and stressor-related disorders are major public health challenges. This research aims to test whether a new biomarker based on a carbon dioxide CO2 challenge can help predict who will not respond to exposure-based therapy. The study focuses on adults diagnosed with one or more of these fear- or anxiety-related disorders and explores how this easy-to-administer test could improve treatment choices. Participants will undergo a CO2 reactivity assessment before receiving 12 weekly one-hour sessions of exposure-based therapy delivered by trained clinicians. This therapy helps patients confront and reduce their fears by safely practicing exposure to feared situations both during and outside sessions. The study will also consider other factors like hyperventilation reactivity and clinical measures to build a model predicting therapy non-response. During the 13-week treatment period and a follow-up at 24 weeks, participants will complete weekly assessments including anxiety severity scales and disorder-specific questionnaires. Researchers will monitor treatment response and safety, aiming to validate CO2 reactivity as a useful tool for guiding therapy. The total study duration spans from initial assessment through post-treatment follow-up to better understand therapy outcomes.

CO2 Reactivity as a Biomarker of Non-Response to Exposure-Based Therapy