Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39879857›Full record

Trial reportJournal of anxiety disorders2025

A comparison of virtual reality and verbal imaginal exposure for childhood anxiety disorders.

Bridget K Biggs, Stephen P H Whiteside, Matthew Knutson, Sara Seifert, Deanna R Hofschulte, Jennifer R Geske, Alisson N Lass, Kristin S Vickers, Lilianne M Gloe, Stephanie T Reneson-Feeder

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of anxiety disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  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

10 authors.

Bridget K BiggsDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: biggs.bridget@mayo.edu.
Stephen P H WhitesideDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Matthew KnutsonMinnesota HealthSolutions, St. Paul, MN, USA.
Sara SeifertMinnesota HealthSolutions, St. Paul, MN, USA.
Deanna R HofschulteDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Jennifer R GeskeDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Alisson N LassDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Kristin S VickersDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Lilianne M GloeDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Stephanie T Reneson-FeederDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Funding

Low-Cost, Virtual Reality System to Increase Access to Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive DisordersR44MH109190 · NIMH · MINNESOTA HEALTHSOLUTIONS CORPORATION · PI SEIFERT, SARA · 2018 to 2020
$1.5M
NIMH NIH HHS R44 MH109190
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Virtual reality is a promising tool for improving efficacy of exposure therapy for childhood anxiety disorders (CADs), particularly for exposures that are challenging to orchestrate in vivo. The present study compared virtual reality exposure (VRE) to verbal imaginal exposure (IE) on anxiety elicited, homework completion, and preparation for subsequent exposures. Forty-five youth with CADs completed both types of exposure in session (order randomly assigned), practiced one form of exposure as homework (randomly assigned), and returned a week later to repeat both exposures (in randomized order), provide user feedback, and complete a related in vivo exposure. Both VRE and IE elicited moderate anxiety that decreased to mild during the exposure and were associated with lower initial anxiety ratings in subsequent exposures. These patterns did not differ across exposure type. The two techniques did not differ on homework completion. VRE was associated with greater simulator (motion) sickness symptoms. Participants rated VRE as more realistic than IE and noted pros and cons for both approaches. The present study supported use of VRE and IE in treatment of CADs without demonstrating superiority of either technique in effectiveness or homework completion.

Indexed as

Anxiety DisordersImplosive TherapyVirtual RealityVirtual Reality Exposure TherapyAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleTreatment OutcomeChild anxietyExposure therapyImaginal exposureVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID39879857
PMCPMC13189028

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.