Attention bias modification treatment eases symptoms in social anxiety disorder

People with social anxiety disorder (SAD) may benefit from gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GC-MRT), an eye-tracking-based attention bias modification treatment, which has been shown to reduce SAD symptoms in a recent study.

The authors compared the efficacy of GC-MRT with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment or a waiting list control condition in reducing SAD symptoms and assumed superior clinical effects of similar magnitude for the active treatments compared with the control condition.

A total of 105 treatment-seeking adults with SAD were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of GC-MRT, SSRI, or waiting list control. The authors used generalized estimating equations to compare the mean changes in clinician-rated and self-reported social anxiety symptoms from baseline to mid- and post-treatment assessments between groups. They also assessed the changes in attentional dwell time on threat.

A significant differential decrease in social anxiety symptoms was seen between treatment groups. Patients in the GC-MRT and SSRI group demonstrated lower social anxiety scores at the mid- and post-treatment assessments relative to their counterparts in the waiting list group. No difference was observed in the efficacy of the active treatments.

Notably, only patients who received GC-MRT exhibited a decrease in dwell time on threat from baseline to post-treatment assessment.

“SAD is common and impairing,” the authors said. “The efficacy of pharmacotherapy is moderate, highlighting the need for alternative therapies.”