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HealthyNCT04370613

Imagery Vividness and Arousal Responses to Prospective Imagery

An observational study of Healthy, run by Uppsala University at 1 site in Sweden.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Research has shown that mental imagery appears to carry emotion better than verbal communication. One way this can be noted is that emotional mental imagery trigger physiological arousal responses. These may be important for treatment techniques using mental imagery, such as imaginal exposure and imagery re-scripting. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Healthy
What is being tested?
Prospective Imagery visualization task
How many people
60 participants
Where
1 siteSweden
Study dates
5 Oct 2020to 15 Oct 2021
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: Healthy participants

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 or over
  • Fluent in Swedish
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent and complete study procedures

Who cannot join

  • Current psychiatric disorder
  • Current use of psychotropic medication

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Sweden1 site

  • Uppsala University, Department of Psychology

    Uppsala

Other trials in Sweden

About this study

Research has shown that mental imagery appears to carry emotion better than verbal communication. One way this can be noted is that emotional mental imagery trigger physiological arousal responses. These may be important for treatment techniques using mental imagery, such as imaginal exposure and imagery re-scripting. However, as the development of clinical applications increasingly considers the use of flashpoint imagery, i.e. mental imagery of short duration, it is of interest to examine whether also flashpoint imagery trigger arousal responses. This study examines the arousal response to flashpoint imagery of different valence (positive, negative, and neutral).

Moreover, emerging evidence suggest that depressed individuals find it more difficult to produce mental imagery of positive future events (less accessible and vivid) than healthy controls. In addition, individuals with clinical anxiety appear to be able to produce imagery of negative future events more easily than healthy controls. This study explores whether these results can be noted also in sub-clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety, and if so, if they are accompanied with corresponding changes in arousal responses.

Read the detailed description

This study takes part in a single session. Participants will produce flashpoint imagery of future events while skin conductance responses, imagery vividness ratings, valence and arousal ratings are collected. Participants will also fill in questionnaires on depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as a questionnaire measuring general propensity for mental imagery.

Conditions
Healthy
Being tested
Prospective Imagery visualization task
Keywords
Mental Imagery, Skin conductance

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Prospective Imagery visualization taskBehavioural

    Participant visualizes brief mental imagery of prospective situations of different valence (neutral, positive, negative).

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Imagery vividness ratings

    Scale: 1-5; no image at all - image as clear and vivd as real life

    Measured: Day 1

  2. Skin conductance response (SCR)

    SCR is used to measure physiological arousal response to the mental imagery production. The study evaluates differences in SCR between valences of prospective imagery (neutral, negative, positive) and possible covariation with self-rated anxiety or depression symptoms.

    Measured: Day 1

Secondary outcomes (6)

  1. Time in seconds it takes to construct a situation to visualize

    Measured as the time period from the presentation of the instruction until the participant reports a constructed situation.

    Measured: Day 1

  2. Subjective Valence Ratings

    Subjective Valence Ratings for each produced mental imagery (0-100; negative to positive)

    Measured: Day 1

  3. Subjective Arousal Ratings

    Subjective Arousal Ratings for each produced mental imagery (0-100; 0=no arousal, 100=maximum arousal)

    Measured: Day 1

  4. The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire

    This is a self-rated questionnaire measuring vividness of visual mental imagery. Higher scores indicate higher level of vividness (range 0-80)

    Measured: Day 1

  5. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

    This is a self-rated questionnaire measuring trait anxiety. Higher scores indicate higher level of trait anxiety (range 20-80)

    Measured: Day 1

  6. Formulär för patienthälsa (PHQ-9)

    This is a self-rated questionnaire for measuring depression symptoms. Higher scores indicate more symptoms of depression (range 0-27 + specific question of how disabling the symptoms are)

    Measured: Day 1

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 May 2020
  2. Study start5 Oct 2020
  3. Primary completion15 Oct 2021
  4. Study completion15 Oct 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
60 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04370613
Sponsor's protocol ID
2019-06507
Other IDs
2019
Status last verified
Oct 2021
First submitted
28 Apr 2020
Last updated
19 Oct 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Data, study protocol, and ICF will be available at Open Science Framework (OSF) upon publication. Statistical analysis plan will be pre-registered at OSF.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Healthy, run by Uppsala University at 1 site in Sweden.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Oct 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Imagery vividness ratings (time frame: Day 1). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04370613.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Oct 2021; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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