Actively Recruiting
Reward Processing and Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder
Led by University of California, Los Angeles · Updated on 2026-04-02
94
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
239 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of California, Los Angeles
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The investigators are conducting a clinical trial of therapy for public speaking anxiety. There are many eligibility criteria, but the main ones are that participants need to be socially anxious and have public speaking anxiety. In this clinical trial, all participants will do exposure therapy. Before doing exposure therapy in the study, though, participants will be randomized to do one of two treatments: i) a positive mood treatment, which is designed to increase how positive people feel, and ii) a relaxation treatment, which is designed to help people feel more relaxed. The investigators are doing this study to see whether doing the positive mood treatment or relaxation treatment first will affect how well exposure therapy works.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Reward Processing and Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Diagnosis of social anxiety disorder from the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM 5
- Elevated fear of public speaking with a Public Speaking Anxiety Scale score of 66 or higher
- Low reward processing with a Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale score below 56
- Medication-free or stabilized on psychotropic medications for required minimum times (1 month for benzodiazepines and beta blockers, 3 months for SRIs/SNRIs and heterocyclics)
- Psychotherapy-free or stabilized on non-cognitive/behavioral therapies for at least 6 months prior to study
- Age between 18 and 60 years
- Fluent in English
- No MRI contraindications to participate in MRI version of fear conditioning task
You will not qualify if you...
- Suicidal ideation with intent or plan within the past year
- Lifetime history of suicide attempts
- History of bipolar disorder, psychosis, intellectual disability, or organic brain damage
- Substance use disorder within the last 6 months
- Major respiratory, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, or muscular-skeletal diseases
- Pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next 6 months
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90024
Actively Recruiting
2
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90024
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
T
Tomislav D Zbozinek, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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