How social support changes threat-related vigilance and arousal
Effects of Trauma and Discrimination on the Social Regulation of Threat-related Vigilance and Arousal
NA · University of Nevada, Reno · NCT05558527
This study will test whether having a supportive romantic partner present reduces threat-related vigilance and physiological arousal in adults in stable relationships, and whether histories of interpersonal trauma or racial/ethnic discrimination change that effect.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 45 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Nevada, Reno (other) |
| Locations | 1 site (Reno, Nevada) |
| Trial ID | NCT05558527 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will use eye-tracking and physiological measures to compare vigilance and arousal when participants view potential threat cues with a romantic partner present versus alone. Participants must be adults in stable romantic relationships, fluent in English, and have normal or allowable corrected vision. The team will gather self-reported histories of interpersonal trauma and ethnoracial discrimination to see if those histories moderate the social buffering effect. All procedures take place in controlled laboratory visits at the University of Nevada, Reno contrasting social support and no-support conditions.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults in a stable romantic relationship for at least six months, fluent in English, with normal or allowable corrected vision (not requiring glasses or hard/bifocal contacts), and who have not experienced a traumatic event in the past four weeks.
Not a fit: People who are not in a qualifying romantic relationship, require glasses or disallowed contact lenses, have very recent trauma, or cannot travel to Reno are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could support partner-based strategies to reduce hypervigilance and excessive arousal in people with trauma or discrimination histories.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research supports social emotion regulation as a buffer for arousal, but using eye-tracking to study hypervigilance and testing moderation by interpersonal trauma and ethnoracial discrimination is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * In a stable romantic relationship for 6 months or more * Normal vision or corrected-to-normal vision * Fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: * If vision is corrected-to-normal, needs to use hard contact lenses, bifocal contact lenses, or glasses * Experienced a traumatic event within the past 4 weeks
Where this trial is running
Reno, Nevada
- University of Nevada, Reno — Reno, Nevada, United States (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Cynthia L Lancaster, PhD — University of Nevada, Reno
- Study coordinator: Kylie Baer, MS
- Email: kyliebaer@unr.edu
- Phone: (775) 682-8145
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Psychological Trauma, Historical, Discrimination, Racial, Emotion Regulation, Social Interaction, Hypervigilance, Anxiety, psychological trauma, ethnoracial discrimination