TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schwarzmeier, Hanna
A1  - Leehr, Elisabeth Johanna
A1  - Böhnlein, Joscha
A1  - Seeger, Fabian Reinhard
A1  - Roesmann, Kati
A1  - Gathmann, Bettina
A1  - Herrmann, Martin J.
A1  - Siminski, Niklas
A1  - Junghöfer, Markus
A1  - Straube, Thomas
A1  - Grotegerd, Dominik
A1  - Dannlowski, Udo
T1  - Theranostic markers for personalized therapy of spider phobia: Methods of a bicentric external cross‐validation machine learning approach
JF  - International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
N2  - Objectives
Embedded in the Collaborative Research Center “Fear, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders” (CRC‐TRR58), this bicentric clinical study aims at identifying biobehavioral markers of treatment (non‐)response by applying machine learning methodology with an external cross‐validation protocol. We hypothesize that a priori prediction of treatment (non‐)response is possible in a second, independent sample based on multimodal markers.

Methods
One‐session virtual reality exposure treatment (VRET) with patients with spider phobia was conducted on two sites. Clinical, neuroimaging, and genetic data were assessed at baseline, post‐treatment and after 6 months. The primary and secondary outcomes defining treatment response are as follows: 30% reduction regarding the individual score in the Spider Phobia Questionnaire and 50% reduction regarding the individual distance in the behavioral avoidance test.

Results
N = 204 patients have been included (n = 100 in Würzburg, n = 104 in Münster). Sample characteristics for both sites are comparable.

Discussion
This study will offer cross‐validated theranostic markers for predicting the individual success of exposure‐based therapy. Findings will support clinical decision‐making on personalized therapy, bridge the gap between basic and clinical research, and bring stratified therapy into reach. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03208400).
KW  - machine learning
KW  - spider phobia
KW  - theranostic markers
Y1  - 2020
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213430
VL  - 29
IS  - 2
ER  -