Efficacy of tDCS to Enhance Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Response in Acrophobia

Efficacy of tDCS to Enhance Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Response in Acrophobia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) can enhance the effect of virtual reality exposure therapy(VRET) in acrophobia in college students with significant fear of heights. The main question it aims to answer are:

• the enhancement of tDCS on the effect of VRET Participants will randomly allocated to tDCS active stimulated group and sham stimulated group and receive VRET.

Inclusion Criteria:

• the score of the AQ-Anxiety had to be at least 45.45(1SD below the mean of a previous acrophobia sample(Cohen, 1977));
• the participants had the avoidance behaviors in daily life and recognized the fear of height was excessive and unnecessary (the severity of fear of heights not less than 5 points at a scale from 0 to 10).

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous treatment for acrophobia, history or family history of any mental disorder (except for acrophobia), metal parts in the head, medical implants, increased intracranial pressure, pregnancy, current involvement in psycho- or pharmacotherapy, and cardiovascular or neurological diseases.