Effects of Transcranial Photobiomodulation and Attention Bias Modification on Anxiety Symptoms and Brain Hemodynamics
University of Texas at Austin
Summary
The investigators have previously shown that safe, non-invasive methods of brain stimulation such as the administration of transcranial infrared light can result in improvements to cognition and emotion. The investigators hypothesize that transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) can be used in conjunction with attention bias assessment and modification to reduce anxiety symptoms in individuals with sub-clinical anxiety.
Description
The investigators will conduct two studies: one examining the efficacy of transcranial photobiomodulation as a standalone treatment to alleviate sub-clinical anxiety symptoms and another evaluating the role of transcranial photobiomodulation as an adjunct to a form of cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety treatment. The investigators will recruit individuals with sub-clinical anxiety and use attention bias assessment (ABA) to assess levels of anxiety, and then use attention bias modification (ABM) to reduce levels of anxiety. Brain activity will be monitored using functional near-infrared sp…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–100 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age and older * State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI) questionnaire score between 40-59 (indicates moderate sub-clinical anxiety) * Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score between 1-9 (indicates minimal to mild sub-clinical depression) Exclusion Criteria: * STAI score less than 40 or greater than 59 * PHQ-9 score greater than 9 * Medication instability (i.e., medication change within 6 weeks) * Indicated suicidal ideation * Currently receiving tPBM treatment * Current pregnancy
Interventions
- BehavioralAttention bias assessment and modification
Attention bias assessment and modification involve two versions of the dot-probe task. These tasks are based on the premise that repeated attention shifts can retrain attentional biases, with the expectation that reducing attentional bias toward threats will alleviate sub-clinical anxiety symptoms.
- DeviceTranscranial photobiomodulation
Participants will receive near-infrared light at 1064 nanometers to the right side of the forehead for 8 minutes. The investigators have introduced this form of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) as a means of human cognitive enhancement, and as an adjunct for attention bias modification for the reduction of symptoms of depression. In the present study, the investigators wish to extend these findings to the use of attention bias modification for the reduction of sub-clinical anxiety.
Location
- The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas