Efficacy of an attention guidance VR intervention for social anxiety disorder.

项目总结/摘要 广泛影响：社交焦虑症（SAD）是一种普遍的心理健康问题， 人口的12%。被认为维持SAD的一种机制是回避面部（即回避面部）。 负面评价威胁）。然而，对SAD注意加工的研究一直局限于范式 呈现在电脑显示器上。为了以更自然的方式研究注意力过程， 作为试点研究的一部分，使用真实的演员的沉浸式360度视频虚拟现实环境。参与者 一系列社交焦虑症状（从无到严重）在这个虚拟现实中完成了5分钟的演讲 环境，同时记录他们的眼球运动。研究结果显示， 社交焦虑与避免看脸（即较少注视面孔）有关。虽然现有 SAD的治疗是中等有效的，大量的人没有经历有意义的 减少他们的症状。该项目的总体目标是为SAD的未来治疗研究提供信息。 我们将测试一个简短的注意力指导干预SAD，专门针对回避的面孔， 潜在的机制维持紊乱。拟议的研究将使用眼动跟踪硬件， 自然主义的虚拟现实环境从试点研究。我们还将在手术前收集眼动追踪数据。 干预，以调查潜在的异质性注意过程中的SAD。目标1将测试 假设（a）与标准暴露干预相比，注意力引导干预将 导致社交焦虑症状的更大减少，以及（B）这种效果将由以下因素的数量介导： 在干预后的一次简短的公开演讲挑战中，对面孔的注视。这些结果将提供很多 我们需要证据来证明回避面孔是否是SAD中的一个因果维持因素。目标2将 测试的假设，有不同的亚组的SAD与独特的模式的眼球运动超过 作为目标1的一部分收集的干预前演讲课程。贝叶斯统计方法将 实施，评估眼球运动模式，并根据这些模式估计组成员资格。 模式.这种方法可能支持一种更个性化的治疗SAD的方法。综合这些 这些发现可能会为未来利用靶向注意过程的SAD实验疗法提供信息。培训内容： 该项目将准备申请人进行早期阶段的临床试验利用简短的有针对性的干预措施 目的是假定的因果机制牵连在维持焦虑相关的病理。申请人 还将获得先进的技术，理论和统计知识进行眼球运动的关键 (i.e.视觉注意力）研究。该提案将有助于申请人将其工作传播给科学界。 社区通过会议演示和期刊出版物，以及为他提供技能， 未来的临床研究学术生涯。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Broad Impact: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent mental health concern that impacts approximately 12% of the population. One mechanism thought to maintain SAD is avoidance of faces (i.e. avoidance of negative evaluative threat). However, research on attentional processes in SAD has been confined to paradigms presented on computer monitors. To investigate attentional processes in a more naturalistic way we developed an immersive, 360º-video virtual reality environment using real actors, as part of a pilot study. Participants with a range of social anxiety symptoms (from none to severe) completed a 5-minute speech in this virtual reality environment while their eye movements were recorded. Results from the study showed that greater symptoms of social anxiety were associated with avoidance of looking at faces (i.e. fewer fixations on faces). While existing treatments for SAD are moderately effective, a large number of individuals do not experience meaningful reductions in their symptoms. The overarching goal of this project is to inform future treatment research for SAD. We will test a brief attention guidance intervention for SAD that specifically targets avoidance of faces as a potential mechanism maintaining the disorder. The proposed research will use the eye tracking hardware and naturalistic virtual reality environment from the pilot study. We will also collect eye tracking data prior to the intervention in order to investigate potential heterogeneity in the attentional processes of SAD. Aim 1 will test the hypotheses that (a) the attention guidance intervention, compared to the standard exposure intervention, will result in a greater reduction in symptoms of social anxiety, and (b) this effect will be mediated by the number of fixations on faces during a brief public speaking challenge post-intervention. These results will provide much needed evidence as to whether avoidance of faces operates as a causal maintaining factor in SAD. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that there are distinct sub-groups of SAD with unique patterns of eye movements over the course of a pre-intervention speech collected as part of Aim 1. A Bayesian statistical approach will be implemented that evaluates patterns of eye movements and estimates group membership based on those patterns. This approach may support a more personalized approach to treating SAD. Taken together these findings may inform future experimental therapeutics for SAD utilizing targeted attentional processes. Training: This project will prepare the applicant to conduct early stage clinical trials utilizing brief targeted interventions aimed at putative causal mechanisms implicated in the maintenance of anxiety-related pathology. The applicant will also gain advanced technical, theoretical, and statistical knowledge critical for conducting eye movement (i.e. visual attention) research. This proposal will aid the applicant in disseminating his work to the scientific community through conference presentations and journal publications, as well as provide him with skills for his future academic career in clinical research.