Phase II Study of Gaze-Contingent Music Reward Therapy Added to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying whether adding Gaze-Contingent Music Reward Therapy (GCMRT) to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) improves treatment for children and teenagers aged 8 to 17 with separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can cause long-term physical and mental health issues, and current treatments like medications and CBT work in only about half of cases. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of CBT alone versus CBT combined with GCMRT in a phase II randomized trial. Participants will attend weekly sessions for 12 weeks, starting with CBT alone for the first 4 weeks. After this, they will be randomly assigned to receive either an active form of GCMRT, where music stops when they look at negative facial expressions, or a control form where music plays continuously. This therapy is computer-based and involves tracking eye movements as participants view faces showing different emotions. Both groups continue CBT during the 8 weeks of GCMRT. Throughout the study, participants will complete questionnaires about their anxiety symptoms and behavior and perform computer tasks involving eye tracking and reaction times. Assessments will be done at the start, weekly during therapy, and at a final visit in week 13. The main outcome measured is the severity of anxiety rated by clinicians using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS). Secondary measures include overall clinical improvement and symptoms reported by parents and patients. Each visit lasts about 2 hours, and participants must be medication-free and enrolled in a related protocol to take part.

Gaze-Contingent Music Therapy Augmentation of CBT for Pediatric Anxiety