CO2 breathing test to predict who may not respond to exposure therapy
2/2-CO2 Reactivity as a Biomarker of Non-Response to Exposure-Based Therapy
A safe CO2 breathing test aims to find whether adults with anxiety, OCD, or trauma-related disorders are unlikely to improve with exposure therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11299057 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would have a brief, safe CO2 breathing challenge before starting an open, state-of-the-art exposure therapy program. The team plans to enroll about 600 adults with fear- or anxiety-related conditions and measure how their bodies react to CO2 along with other clinical tests. Everyone will then receive transdiagnostic exposure-based therapy while researchers track who improves and who does not. The researchers will build a prediction model to see if CO2 reactivity helps spot people who are unlikely to benefit from exposure therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21 years and older) with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, or trauma- and stressor-related disorders who are planning to begin exposure-based therapy are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People under 21, individuals without anxiety-related disorders, or those not receiving exposure therapy would not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians and patients avoid ineffective exposure therapy by identifying those unlikely to benefit ahead of time.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies have shown CO2 reactivity links to fear extinction problems, but using CO2 to predict human therapy non-response remains largely unproven and is being validated here.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University (Charles River Campus) — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Otto, Michael W. — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Otto, Michael W.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.