← Back to Search

Facial Microexpression Training for Anxiety (ALPHA Trial)

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Elliot K Edmiston, PhD
Research Sponsored by University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be between 18 and 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up six or twelve months post-scan visit
Awards & highlights

ALPHA Trial Summary

This trial looks at how well individuals with high trait anxiety can read emotions from faces, and if this changes after an intervention.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for young adults who have high anxiety levels, as measured by the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), specifically those with STAI scores of 44 or higher. Participants should not be on psychiatric medications, have no recent substance abuse issues except cannabis, no contraindications to MRI scans, and no major medical or neurological illnesses.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study is testing how people with high anxiety process visual information like recognizing emotions on faces. Some participants will do a computer task where they identify emotions in faces either six months or twelve months after an initial MRI scan.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Since this intervention involves only a computer-based task and an MRI scan, there are minimal side effects expected. The most common side effects might include discomfort from staying still during the MRI and eye strain or stress from the computer task.

ALPHA Trial Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~six or twelve months post-scan visit
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and six or twelve months post-scan visit for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Tolerability of the Micro Expression Training Task in individuals with high anxiety

ALPHA Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: 6 Month Micro Expression Training TaskExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The Micro Expression Training Task (METT) presents videos of subtle emotional face expressions; participants receive real-time feedback following forced choice emotional identification. The METT includes a brief pre-test, training, and then a post-test.
Group II: 12 Month Micro Expression Training TaskExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The Micro Expression Training Task (METT) presents videos of subtle emotional face expressions; participants receive real-time feedback following forced choice emotional identification. The METT includes a brief pre-test, training, and then a post-test. Participants in this group will complete this task twelve month after their first visit.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

University of Massachusetts, WorcesterLead Sponsor
342 Previous Clinical Trials
976,587 Total Patients Enrolled
2 Trials studying Anxiety
4,082 Patients Enrolled for Anxiety
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)NIH
2,783 Previous Clinical Trials
2,689,126 Total Patients Enrolled
82 Trials studying Anxiety
39,077 Patients Enrolled for Anxiety
University of PittsburghLead Sponsor
1,719 Previous Clinical Trials
16,342,318 Total Patients Enrolled
24 Trials studying Anxiety
12,830 Patients Enrolled for Anxiety

Media Library

Facial Microexpression Training Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT04187326 — N/A
Facial Microexpression Training 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT04187326 — N/A
Anxiety Clinical Trial 2023: Facial Microexpression Training Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT04187326 — N/A
Anxiety Research Study Groups: 6 Month Micro Expression Training Task, 12 Month Micro Expression Training Task

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

Does this research require participants to be younger than 35?

"Patients who are between 18 and 30 years of age need to be recruited for this medical trial."

Answered by AI

Are there any current opportunities to join this clinical experiment?

"Affirmative, clinicaltrials.gov specifies that this research effort is currently recruiting. It was first announced on March 1st 2021 and the last update occurred on February 14th 2022. The study requires 30 participants from a single medical centre to participate."

Answered by AI

Could I be a candidate for this medical experiment?

"This trial requires 30 individuals with anxiety between the youthful ages of 18-30. Necessary requirements include an STAI trait score of 44 or higher, as determined by a Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)."

Answered by AI

How many subjects are currently taking part in this clinical exploration?

"Affirmative. Clinicaltrials.gov documents that this clinical trial, which opened on March 1st 2021, is currently looking for volunteers. Thirty individuals need to be enrolled at one medical hub."

Answered by AI

Who else is applying?

What site did they apply to?
University of Pittsburgh
What portion of applicants met pre-screening criteria?
Did not meet criteria
Recent research and studies
clinicaltrials.govStudy
Assessing Visual Processing in High Anxiety
Elliot Kale Edmiston 2021. "Assessing Visual Processing in High Anxiety". ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04187326.
~6 spots leftby Apr 2025
Unbiased ResultsWe believe in providing patients with all the options.
Your Data Stays Your DataWe only share your information with the clinical trials you're trying to access.
Verified Trials OnlyAll of our trials are run by licensed doctors, researchers, and healthcare companies.
Back to top