This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Music reward therapy improves social anxiety

Eight 12-minute sessions of gaze-contingent music reward therapy improved social anxiety disorder severity, according to recent findings.

“Accumulating evidence finds moderate effects of reaction-time-based attention bias modification protocols for anxiety disorders. However, efficacy remains inconsistent across studies, possibly from a failure of some reaction-time-based protocols to effectively engage aberrant attentional processes,” Amit Lazarov, PhD, of Tel Aviv University, Israel, and colleagues wrote.

To assess efficacy of gaze-contingent music reward therapy designed to reduce attention dwelling on threats in social anxiety disorder, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial among 40 individuals with social anxiety disorder. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive eight sessions of gaze-contingent music reward therapy or a control condition. Therapy was designed to divert the gaze toward neutral stimuli rather than threat stimuli. Social anxiety measures were assessed by clinicians and self-reports pretreatment, posttreatment and at 3-month follow-up.

From pre- to posttreatment, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) scores significantly decreased among individuals who received gaze-contingent music reward therapy (P < .0001) and the control (P < .05). However, reduction in social anxiety disorder severity was significantly higher among those who received gaze-contingent music reward therapy, compared with control (P < .0001).

From posttreatment to follow-up at 3 months, there was a significant difference in symptom reduction among the control group (P = .021) but not the intervention group and symptoms continued to decrease.

Seventy percent of participants who received gaze-contingent music reward therapy achieved clinically significant change, compared with 30% of the control group (P = .01).

At follow-up, 75% of those who received gaze-contingent music reward therapy achieved clinically significant change, compared with 30% of the control group (P = .004).

From pre- to posttreatment, Social Phobia Inventory scores significantly decreased among participants who received gaze-contingent music reward therapy (P < .0001) but not controls.

Further, those who received gaze-contingent music reward therapy had significantly greater reductions in social anxiety disorder severity from pre- to posttreatment, compared with the control group (P < .0001).

“Gaze-contingent music reward therapy, comprising eight 12-minute sessions of gaze-contingent music reward feedback, was able to successfully rectify this biased gaze process. Moreover, this therapy achieved reduction in dwell time on threat and led to a significant reduction in social anxiety disorder symptoms following treatment,” the researchers wrote. “Additional research is needed to confirm these findings and to possibly extend them to other anxiety and affective disorders.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.