Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36894736›Full record

Trial reportPsychopharmacology2023

Do oral contraceptives modulate the effects of stress induction on one-session exposure efficacy and generalization in women?

Friederike Raeder, Christian J Merz, Martin Tegenthoff, Ekrem Dere, Oliver T Wolf, Jürgen Margraf, Silvia Schneider, Armin Zlomuzica

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychopharmacology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Friederike RaederFaculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment, Center, Ruhr University Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9-13, 44787, Bochum, Germany.
Christian J MerzFaculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Martin TegenthoffRuhr University Bochum, Department of Neurology, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany.
Ekrem DereFaculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment, Center, Ruhr University Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9-13, 44787, Bochum, Germany.
Oliver T WolfFaculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Jürgen MargrafFaculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment, Center, Ruhr University Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9-13, 44787, Bochum, Germany.
Silvia SchneiderFaculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment, Center, Ruhr University Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9-13, 44787, Bochum, Germany.
Armin ZlomuzicaFaculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment, Center, Ruhr University Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9-13, 44787, Bochum, Germany. armin.zlomuzica@rub.de.
Ruhr University Bochum · DEBG University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum · DEInstitut de Biologie Paris-Seine · FR

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft J.M.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft O.T.W.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft project A09 to C.J.M.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Project.A13 awarded to A.Z.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB 1280 Extinction Learning project SFB1280 - project number 316803389Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB 874 Project A1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ZL 59/ 4-1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ZL 59/ 5-1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleThe administration of glucocorticoids (GC) as an adjunct to exposure represents a promising strategy to improve one-session exposure outcome in anxiety disorders. It remains to be determined whether similar effects can be induced with the use of acute stress. Furthermore, the possible modulation of exposure effects by hormonal factors (e.g., use of oral contraceptives (OCs)) was not explored so far.

objectivesWe investigated whether acute stress prior to one-session exposure for spider fear affects its efficacy in women using oral contraceptives (OC) relative to free-cycling (FC) women. In addition, effects of stress on generalization of exposure therapy effects towards untreated stimuli were examined.

methodsWomen with fears of spiders and cockroaches were randomly assigned to a Stress (n = 24) or No-Stress (n = 24) condition prior to one-session exposure. Of these 48 participants, 19 women used OC (n = 9 in the Stress, and n = 10 in the No-Stress group). All FC women had a regular menstrual cycle and were tested only in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. Pre-exposure stress induction was realized with the socially evaluated cold-pressor test. Exposure-induced changes towards treated and untreated fear stimuli were tested with behavioral approach tests for spiders and cockroaches and subjective fear and self-report measures.

resultsAcute stress did not influence exposure-induced reduction in fear and avoidance of the treated stimuli (spiders). Similarly, stress had no effect on the generalization of exposure-therapy effects towards untreated stimuli (cockroaches). Exposure-induced reduction in subjective fear and self-report measures for treated stimuli was less evident in women using OC specifically after pre-exposure stress. Women using OC had higher levels of subjective fear and scored higher in self-report measures at post-treatment (24 h after exposure) and follow-up (4 weeks after exposure).

conclusionsOC intake may represent an important confounding factor in augmentation studies using stress or GC.

Indexed as

Implosive TherapyPhobic DisordersSpidersAnimalsAnxiety DisordersContraceptives, OralFearFemaleGlucocorticoidsHumansContraceptives, OralGlucocorticoidsAnxiety disordersCortisolGlucocorticoidsOral contraceptivesSingle-session exposureSpider fearStress

Identifiers

PMID36894736
PMCPMC10102109
OpenAlexW4323810362

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.