MGH Research

[Hoppipolla]

I'm participating in one of these studies and thought maybe someone in the Boston area might be interested too.

Improving Outcomes in Pharmacotherapy of Social Phobia
Posting Date: 4/8/2008
Study Contact: call 1-866-44-WORRY or send email to anxietystudy@partners.org

Description: This study will compare the usefulness of three different medication strategies for treating individuals with social anxiety disorder who have not responded well to an established treatment (i.e., the medication sertraline, also known as Zoloft). Each of these 3 medication strategies involve taking a medication that is currently marketed for anxiety and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale for the treatment of anxiety. The study is a two phase, 23-week research study in which subjects who remain symptomatic at the end of one phase enter into the next. In Phase I, all subjects receive sertraline (ZoloftÒ) for 10 weeks. Subjects who remain symptomatic will enter Phase II, in which subjects will be randomly assigned (there will be a one-in-three chance of being assigned to each group) to either keep taking sertraline, switch to taking sertraline and clonazepam, or switch to taking only venlafaxine extended-release for the remaining 12 weeks of the study. At the end of the study, you will enter follow-up care with the study doctor.

Inclusion Criteria: Patients age 18 or older with a primary diagnosis of generalized social anxiety disorder. Patients with a history of schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, mental disorder due to a medical condition or substance, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder are excluded. In addition, patients with severe and/or uncontrolled medical problems, and patients taking other psychotrophic medications are excluded.



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D-Cycloserine Enhancement of Exposure in Social Phobia
Posting Date: 2/18/2008
Study Contact: call 1-866-44-WORRY or send email to anxietystudy@partners.org

Description: This study will provide individuals who meet criteria for Social Phobia with 12 weekly sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy lasting approximately two and a half hours each. During these sessions, patients will receive information on the nature of social phobia and a model of treatment and will receive weekly training in how to become more comfortable with social situations, with the goal of achieving confidence in social interactions. As part of this training, the therapist will practice social interactions with the patient, who will also be asked to practice what they have learned outside of the therapists’ office. For the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sessions of the twelve-session program of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the patient will be asked to arrive one hour early to take one of the study pill, a 50mg pill of either d-cycloserine or placebo, which participants will be randomly assigned to. A physician will be available in the unlikely event that a patient begins to experience side effects. Before the treatment starts, before the eighth session, and one week after the final session patients will have their levels of symptoms assessed with measures of mood, anxiety, and avoidance. Upon completion of the study, participants will be asked to return for a one-month, three-month, and six month-followup.

Eligibility Criteria: Male or female outpatients 18 years or older with a primary diagnosis of generalized social anxiety disorder (as determined by the psychiatrists who conduct our initial screening process); physical examination, electrocardiogram, and laboratory findings without clinically significant abnormalities; willingness and ability to comply with the requirements of the study protocol; participants currently taking psychotropic medication will be excluded.