The Perceptual Training Study is a series of studies performed with the purpose of identifying a potential avenue for treatment of mood disorders, particularly anxiety-based mood disorders. The underlying theme is that neural representations may be threat-oriented, and may also be generalized to non-threatening cues by means of similarity to threatening representations. These may result in anxiety symptoms from innocuous cues. The idea behind the perceptual training is to create a divorce between the threat representations and cues which should be considered non-threatening, enhancing perceptual acuity and potentially reducing anxiety symptoms.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
154
Participants viewed faces varying in their expression of anger and were asked to identify if the face was angry or neutral via button press. Participants were provided with feedback if their categorization of the face as neutral or angry was correct. Each participant was assigned 4 levels of angry faces based on their decision point of anger detection in faces. Faces were selected based on the closest existing anger morph to the category boundary; for example, a decision point of 40% anger was closest to the 38% anger face, and so the faces used would have been 17%, 31%, 45%, and 59% anger. For this example, responses of "neutral" to the 31% angry face would be marked as correct, whereas a similar response to the 45% angry face would be incorrect, as it was above their decision point.
Participants viewed faces varying in their expression of anger and were asked to identify if the face was male or female via button press.
Behavioral Evidence for Categorical Perception Changes
Participants will be asked to respond if they detected anger in faces varying in their levels of anger expression. This task is used to determine a perceptual bias for threat/anger in faces that is related to increases in social anxiety symptoms, and assess for improvements in the categorization of angry vs. neutral faces. that align with modulations of neural responses (MEG and EEG evidence) indexing perceptual processing of the faces following perceptual retraining.
Time frame: Baseline to Study Completion (14 to 28 Days)
Neural Evidence for Categorical Perception Changes
Neural activity will be recorded using EEG and MEG to measure neural processes underpinning categorical perception of anger in faces. Changes in this neural perceptual index will be assessed following perceptual retraining to provide a neural mechanism underpinning behavioral improvements in perceptual categorization and subsequent reductions in anxiety.
Time frame: Baseline to Study Completion (14 to 28 Days)
Social Anxiety Symptoms - Social Phobia Scale
Change in social anxiety symptomatology through perceptual retraining
Time frame: Baseline to Study Completion (14 to 28 Days)
Social Anxiety Symptoms - Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Change in social anxiety symptomatology through perceptual retraining
Time frame: Baseline to Study Completion (14 to 28 Days)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.