Condition

Fear clinical trials and research

• 22Clinical trials
• 118NIH research projects
• 7Countries

Newest Fear clinical trials

All recruiting trials (22)

• Using VR headsets or play cards to ease fear during inhaler treatment for kids

  This trial tests whether virtual reality or interactive distraction cards help 4–6 year-olds feel less fear and anxiety when receiving inhaler medication.

  Recruiting Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University · Balıkesir, Balıkesir · NCT07780331

• Distraction Methods to Ease Pain and Fear During a Child’s Blood Draw

  This study tests if pinwheel blowing, a 3D hologram, or sugar-free gum can reduce pain and fear during blood draws for kids aged 5–10 compared with routine procedure.

  Recruiting Corlu State Hospital · Tekirdağ · NCT07770191

• Using a stress ball or cartoons to ease fear, anxiety, and pain during skin prick tests in kids

  This trial tests whether watching cartoons or using a stress ball helps 4- to 10-year-olds handle skin prick allergy testing better than usual care.

  Recruiting Tarsus University · Tarsus · NCT07750236

• Two Different Therapeutic Distractions Used During Blood Draw for Children Aged 5–7

  This study tests whether two distraction methods during blood sampling can reduce pain, fear, and anxiety in 5–7 year-olds compared with routine care.

  Recruiting Phase 1 Igdir University · Iğdır, Iğdır · NCT07731347

• VR preparation for kids before surgery

  A small study tests whether a virtual reality tour of the hospital before surgery helps kids aged 3–12 feel less anxious and more cooperative.

  Recruiting Fundación de investigación HM · Madrid, Mujer · NCT07650695

• Rhythmic Skin Tapping and Internal Vibration for Pediatric Venipuncture Pain and Fear

  This study tests whether light fingertip tapping above the needle site or a humming sound can reduce pain and fear in children aged 6-12 during blood draws.

  Recruiting Akdeniz University · Antalya, Kepez · NCT07650591

• Cartoons and mobile games to ease preoperative anxiety in children with appendicitis

  This randomized trial tests whether watching cartoons or playing mobile games for 10 minutes before surgery can reduce anxiety and fear in kids aged 7–12 with appendicitis.

  Recruiting Ankara City Hospital Bilkent · Ankara · NCT07640230

• Mindfulness training to reduce childbirth fear and strengthen bonding and breastfeeding in pregnant teens

  This program will try mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with pregnant teens and their partners to see if it lowers fear of childbirth, improves parent–infant bonding, and increases breastfeeding success.

  Recruiting Inonu University · Malatya, Malatya · NCT07540923

• Progressive relaxation with a therapeutic clown to reduce pre-surgery fear and anxiety in children

  This trial tests whether progressive relaxation exercises led by a therapeutic clown before circumcision reduce fear, anxiety, and change vital signs in children aged 6–10.

  Recruiting Ataturk University · Erzurum · NCT07525388

• Effect of a stress ball before kidney stone surgery

  This study tests whether using a stress ball before retrograde intrarenal surgery can reduce preoperative anxiety and fear and improve heart and breathing parameters in adults.

  Recruiting Mersin University · Mersin, Mersin · NCT07507656

• AI avatar video to help reduce anxiety and improve cooperation during children's dental numbing shots.

  This study will test whether a short AI-generated avatar video helps 5–7-year-old children feel less anxious and cooperate better during local anesthesia injections compared with the usual Tell-Show-Do explanation.

  Recruiting Saint-Joseph University · Beirut · NCT07449884

• Family-centered comfort support for children in the pediatric ICU

  This program will try a family-centered comfort package—recorded maternal voice, dimmed lighting, and a weighted blanket—for 5–10-year-old PICU patients to see if it improves their comfort, reduces anxiety and fear, helps sleep, and lowers parents' anxiety.

  Recruiting Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University · Ordu, Altınordu · NCT07441668

• Mindfulness-based emotion regulation training to help hospitalized children aged 7–11 manage fear

  This project will try a short mindfulness program to help hospitalized 7–11-year-old children manage their emotions and lower fear related to medical care.

  Recruiting Ataturk University · Erzurum · NCT07379021

• Therapeutic toy doll used before intramuscular injections to calm young children.

  This project will test whether playing with a therapeutic toy doll just before an intramuscular injection helps children aged 4–6 feel less fear, anxiety, and pain.

  Recruiting Ataturk University · Erzurum · NCT07378995

• Combining education and exercise to improve neck pain management

  This study is testing whether combining education about pain with exercise can help people with neck pain feel better and improve their movement.

  Recruiting Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche · Elche, Alicante · NCT06889389

• Preoperative fear and its effect on postoperative pain and recovery

  This research tries to see if fear or anxiety before scheduled surgery makes postoperative pain worse or affects recovery in adults having planned operations.

  Recruiting Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas · NCT06785389

• Reducing pain and fear in children during blood draws with videos and pinwheels

  This study is testing whether watching cartoons or blowing pinwheels can help young children feel less pain and fear during their first blood draw.

  Recruiting Taichung Veterans General Hospital · Taichung · NCT06489353

• Investigating brain responses to threats in anxiety and depression

  This study is testing how an anti-anxiety medication affects the brain's response to threats in people with anxiety, depression, or both to better understand their differences and improve treatments.

  Recruiting Phase 4 Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Inc. · Tulsa, Oklahoma · NCT06004115

• Effects of rifaximin on gut bacteria and emotional responses

  This study is testing if the antibiotic rifaximin can change gut bacteria and affect how healthy men respond to stress and fear.

  Recruiting Phase 2/3 Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven · Leuven · NCT05587036

• Multisensory nature-based approach to ease venous blood draws in hospitalized children

  This randomized trial tests whether a multisensorial nature-based experience can reduce anxiety, fear, and pain for kids aged 5–9 during blood sampling and improve parent satisfaction compared with usual care.

  Recruiting University of Oulu · Oulu · NCT05494684

• Effects of cognitive-behavioral programs on children's pain and anxiety during blood collection

  This study tests if using video games or a kaleidoscope can help reduce pain and anxiety for kids aged 8-10 during blood draws, while also looking at how their parents feel about the experience.

  Recruiting Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University · Karaman and 1 other locations · NCT05263297

• Understanding brain activity related to fear and anxiety

  This study is trying to understand how the brain reacts to fear and anxiety in people with conditions like PTSD and GAD by monitoring their brain activity and emotions during different tasks, including virtual reality experiences.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Duke University · Los Angeles, California and 1 other locations · NCT05120635

NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 118)

Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.

• Ketamine to boost fear extinction and memory on PTSD patients

  A study testing whether ketamine can help people with PTSD better relearn and forget fear when given in a guided treatment plan.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11592530

• Metabolic effects of PFAS exposure in the Cape Fear Basin (GenX Exposure Study)

  This NIH grant studies how PFAS chemicals in drinking water may affect metabolism and weight-related health in adults and children living along the Cape Fear River.

  NIH research North Carolina State University Raleigh · Raleigh, United States · NIH-11541905

• Inflammation and fear learning in PTSD

  This study looks at how a temporary inflammatory challenge affects fear extinction in people with and without PTSD to better understand how PTSD could be treated.

  NIH research Northern California Institute/res/edu · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11468318

• Sleep-based brain wiring of fear memory in the amygdala

  A study in people or animals will look at how sleep helps the amygdala store fear memories by using advanced brain imaging and genetic tools to understand memory changes.

  NIH research Columbia University Health Sciences · New York, United States · NIH-11456018

• Spatial circuits in the prefrontal cortex that control fear and discrimination

  Researchers are exploring how different parts of the prefrontal cortex help decide when to feel fear or not, with the goal of better understanding anxiety-related conditions.

  NIH research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh, United States · NIH-11448740

• Understanding and improving fear and safety learning in OCD

  A study at Yale will test brain-based methods to help adults with OCD improve safety learning and fear extinction during therapy.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11415686

• Targeting Vasopressin and Oxytocin Receptors to Treat Anxiety and Fear

  Researchers are testing how brain chemical signals related to vasopressin and oxytocin in the BNST region affect fear and anxiety, with the goal of identifying new ways to treat anxiety disorders.

  NIH research Rosalind Franklin Univ of Medicine & Sci · North Chicago, United States · NIH-11408439

• Hippocampal pathways linking early-life fear to later cocaine preference in teens and adults

  This grant explores how early-life fear experiences may shape brain pathways that influence later cocaine-related behavior in adolescents and adults.

  NIH research Ponce School of Medicine · Ponce, United States · NIH-11406703

• Epigenetic changes linked to anhedonia and fear in alcohol withdrawal

  Researchers are studying how brain cell changes during alcohol withdrawal may drive mood and fear problems, with potential to guide better treatments for AUD-related symptoms.

  NIH research University of Illinois at Chicago · Chicago, UNITED STATES · NIH-11400955

• Novel behavioral therapy to ease fear of cancer progression in advanced cancer patients

  A randomized trial tests a new behavior-based approach to reduce fear and distress in adults with advanced cancer who are living with uncertainty about their disease.

  NIH research University of Colorado · Boulder, UNITED STATES · NIH-11379002

• FoRtitude: an online program to ease fear of cancer recurrence for breast cancer survivors

  A woman who has finished breast cancer treatment uses an online program to learn easy CBT-based steps to feel less worried about cancer coming back.

  NIH research Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, United States · NIH-11376163

• Exercise to help teens manage anxiety and fear in the brain

  A study will test whether a single session of moderate aerobic exercise can help anxious teens by influencing brain circuits and the body’s chemical signals.

  NIH research Wayne State University · Detroit, United States · NIH-11376069

• Cannabis use after trauma: how acute stress and fear affect cannabis outcomes

  This study observes adults after a traumatic event to understand how stress and fear during the early days to months after trauma influence cannabis use and related problems.

  NIH research Brown University · Providence, United States · NIH-11374389

• Thalamus and hippocampus help tame fear memories

  A research team at the University of Chicago is studying how a brain pathway between the thalamus and hippocampus controls fear memories and their extinction, to help people with PTSD.

  NIH research University of Chicago · Chicago, United States · NIH-11368505

• Enhancing fear extinction with brain-friendly training for anxiety disorders

  A computer-based working memory training study aims to help people with anxiety disorders improve their response to exposure therapy.

  NIH research University of California, San Diego · La Jolla, United States · NIH-11365430

• A stepped-care plan using a mobile app and team-based care to treat dental fear

  A mobile app plus collaborative care approach helps adults with dental fear reduce anxiety and avoid reliance on heavy anesthesia or medications.

  NIH research New York University · New York, United States · NIH-11365233

• Understanding fear system wiring in PTSD and how brain myelin changes relate to symptoms

  Researchers are studying how changes in brain myelin in PTSD might drive abnormal fear processing and connectivity to help guide new treatments.

  NIH research Northern California Institute/res/edu · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11355390

• Understanding and mapping dental care fear to help kids and adults get better dental care

  A patient-friendly project aims to create a clear framework for dental fear and anxiety to improve access to and quality of dental care for people of all ages.

  NIH research University of Florida · Gainesville, United States · NIH-11352566

• Psilocybin-assisted Psychotherapy for Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

  A study will test whether a one-time psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy session helps reduce fear of cancer returning in women with early-stage breast cancer.

  NIH research New York University School of Medicine · New York, United States · NIH-11344227

• Fear memory circuits in the amygdala: how fear responses are formed

  This grant looks at how fear memories are created in the amygdala and what brain signals drive those memories in people who might experience traumatic fear.

  NIH research Trustees of Indiana University · Bloomington, United States · NIH-11343894

• Exercise and fear extinction in PTSD: how aerobic exercise may boost recovery

  A study in adults with PTSD tests whether doing moderate aerobic exercise around fear-extinction training helps reduce fear in daily life.

  NIH research University of Texas at Austin · Austin, United States · NIH-11336403

• Brain electrical signals linked to fear and anxiety

  This project records and briefly stimulates brain circuits in adults with implanted electrodes to learn how those signals relate to fear and anxiety.

  NIH research Duke University · Durham, United States · NIH-11327806

• How MDMA affects fear responses in the brain

  This study is looking at how MDMA might help change the way our brains handle fear, which could be useful for people dealing with anxiety and trauma, by using special imaging to see how it affects certain brain areas.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11324056

• Foxp2 signals that shape fear learning in the brain

  A scientist at a hospital is studying how a brain gene called Foxp2 affects fear learning in adult mice, with potential implications for PTSD treatments.

  NIH research Mclean Hospital · Belmont, United States · NIH-11321248

• Calming dental visits for children with sensory sensitivities and dental anxiety

  Calming lights, soothing sounds, gentle touch supports and short video coaching to help children ages 6–12 feel less anxious during dental cleanings.

  NIH research University of Southern California · Los Angeles, UNITED STATES · NIH-11307553

• Role of hippocampal dopamine in early life adversity and fear generalization

  This grant looks at how early life adversity may change fear generalization in adults by studying dopamine signals in the hippocampus.

  NIH research New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC · New York, United States · NIH-11303631

• How the brain's fear circuits respond to real-world risks and trauma

  Researchers will use realistic rat predator-threat models to learn how brain fear pathways work, aiming to inform better care for people with anxiety and trauma.

  NIH research University of Washington · Seattle, United States · NIH-11301893

• Understanding how fear of falling affects daily life in multiple sclerosis

  This project creates a new way to measure how fear of falling changes daily activities for people with multiple sclerosis.

  NIH research University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, United States · NIH-11301611

• How the brain learns to tell safe people from threatening ones

  This project looks at how a small part of the brain helps mice remember which individuals are safe or scary, to better understand social anxiety and conditions linked to 22q11.2.

  NIH research Columbia University Health Sciences · New York, United States · NIH-11298471

• Understanding how fear learning works in the brain to help PTSD

  Researchers are studying how fear and safety memories are formed in the brain and how this relates to PTSD in adults.

  NIH research Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, United States · NIH-11292054

• Unconscious brain training to reduce animal phobias

  This approach uses unconscious brain feedback during MRI to reduce fear of animals in people with specific animal phobias.

  NIH research University of California Los Angeles · Los Angeles, United States · NIH-11284025

• How the brain tells safe signals from scary or rewarding ones

  This work looks at how brain circuits help people tell safety signals apart from scary or rewarding signals, which could help people with anxiety or PTSD.

  NIH research Indiana University Indianapolis · Indianapolis, United States · NIH-11256779

• How brain circuits form linked memories that trigger fear

  Researchers are testing how brain circuits create fear-linked memories so we can better understand and help people with PTSD.

  NIH research University of Vermont & St Agric College · Burlington, United States · NIH-11256768

• Improving safety learning and brain connectivity in adults with OCD

  This project sees if gentle brain stimulation plus exposure therapy helps adults with OCD learn safety faster and reduce fear-driven symptoms.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11253546

• How inflammation affects the ability to unlearn fear in PTSD

  This work sees if a short-term rise in inflammation makes it harder for trauma-exposed men and women, with or without PTSD, to unlearn fearful responses.

  NIH research Northern California Institute/res/edu · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11230242

• Understanding how fear memories are formed and stored in the brain

  This study is looking at how our brains create and store fear memories, especially in people with PTSD, and it wants to see if there are differences between men and women, so we can find better ways to help those who are struggling with these memories.

  NIH research Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · Blacksburg, United States · NIH-11220791

• How cerebellum brain chemicals affect keeping or letting go of fearful memories

  This work looks at whether a natural brain chemical in the cerebellum can help weaken traumatic fear memories for people with PTSD, including veterans.

  NIH research Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care · New Orleans, United States · NIH-11213978

• Why some people can’t let go of fearful memories and how sleep and brain signals matter

  This project looks at how sleep problems and a brain chemical system (acetylcholine) can make it harder for people with trauma or PTSD to lose fearful memories.

  NIH research Veterans Health Administration · Columbia, United States · NIH-11204589

• Understanding Brain Pathways for Fear in Anxiety Disorders

  This project explores how a specific brain pathway helps control and reduce fear memories, which could lead to new ways to help people with anxiety disorders like PTSD.

  NIH research University of Chicago · Chicago, United States · NIH-11196765

• Ketamine to boost memory reconsolidation and fear extinction in PTSD

  A study at Yale will test whether ketamine given around intensive exposure therapy helps people with PTSD learn to forget or reduce fear more effectively.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11195277

Related topics

Quick answers

How many Fear clinical trials are recruiting right now?

22, as of November 12, 2026. We update this list each time we refresh our data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where are these trials running?

In 7 countries. The most sites are in Turkey (Türkiye) (13 trials), Spain (3 trials), United States (2 trials), Taiwan (1 trial), Belgium (1 trial). Each study page lists its sites and which ones are recruiting.

What phases are they in?

Phase 2/3: 1, Phase 1: 1, Phase 4: 1. Trials with no phase listed are usually device, behavioural or observational studies.

How do I join one?

Open a study, check the "Is this trial a fit for you?" section, then contact the study team listed on the page. They will ask a few screening questions. Asking is free and does not commit you to anything. Talk it over with your doctor first.

Find the studies that fit you

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