Hostile Interpretation Bias Training to Treat Irritability

Last updated: March 27, 2024
Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver
Overall Status: Completed

Phase

N/A

Condition

Affective Disorders

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (Odd)

Mood Disorders

Treatment

IBT

Clinical Study ID

NCT03592368
17-0464
  • Ages 13-17
  • All Genders

Study Summary

Hostile interpretation bias may be a feature of severe, chronic irritability in children, one of the most common psychiatric symptoms of childhood. Interpretation bias training (IBT) is a computer-based training program that may reduce irritability in youths. This trial lays the groundwork for a test IBT on irritability.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adolescents in mental health treatment, with at least:
  1. mild, clinically significant irritability, and
  2. typical intellectual functioning (IQ>80)

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any of the following mental health diagnoses:
  1. current post-traumatic stress
  2. lifetime bipolar I or II disorder
  3. lifetime cyclothymic disorder
  4. lifetime psychotic disorder
  5. lifetime autism spectrum disorder
  • Major medical problems, including head trauma.
  • MRI-specific safety exclusions for the MRI arms.
  • Clinical instability.

Study Design

Total Participants: 97
Treatment Group(s): 1
Primary Treatment: IBT
Phase:
Study Start date:
October 15, 2018
Estimated Completion Date:
January 27, 2023

Study Description

This trial lays the foundation for a preliminary test of efficacy of IBT on irritability by establishing IBT's neurocognitive treatment targets: hostile interpretation bias and response in the neural threat-learning system.

The design is a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial of IBT on its targets. The study will have four arms, with 25 participants in each arm for all four conditions of training (active versus sham) and scanning (in MRI or out of MRI scanner). During IBT, participants judge as happy or angry facial expressions which are on a continuum between happy and angry. The point at which judgments shift from predominantly happy to angry on this continuum is the indifference point. During training feedback encourages no change in the indifference point or a change in the indifference point towards more happy judgments of ambiguous faces. A shift in indifference point towards more benign judgments is interpreted as a reduction in hostile interpretation.

The design will test whether active relative to sham IBT shifts the indifference point towards more benign judgments. Neural response to active versus sham IBT will be measured in half the sample.

Connect with a study center

  • University of Colorado, School of Medicine

    Aurora, Colorado 80045
    United States

    Site Not Available

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