Slope of change throughout exposure treatment for flight phobia: the role of autonomic flexibility

Bornas, X., Gelabert, J. M., Llabres, J., Balle, M., & Tortella-Feliu, M. (2011). Slope of change throughout exposure treatment for flight phobia: the role of autonomic flexibility. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(6), 550-560. doi:10.1002/jclp.20780; 10.1002/jclp.20780

This study tested the hypothesis that flight-phobic patients experience change at different rates even when they are receiving identical treatment. Faster within-session rates of change (WSRC) were expected for patients who required fewer exposure sessions. The study also tested the theoretical role of autonomic flexibility on WSRC. High flexibility should be associated with faster rates of change. Thirty-seven flight-phobic patients were successfully treated with a computer-assisted fear of flying treatment. A significant negative correlation was found between total number of sessions and WSRC: The fewer sessions patients attended, the faster their rate of change was. The role of autonomic flexibility was partially supported: A significant correlation between heart rate variability and WSRC revealed that flexible patients improved faster than less-flexible patients. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 67:1-11, 2011.

Computer-assisted therapy in the treatment of flight phobia: A case report

Xavier Bornas, Miquel A. Fullana, Miquel Tortella-Feliu, Jordi Llabres, Gloria Garcia de la Banda, Computer-assisted therapy in the treatment of flight phobia: A case report, Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, Volume 8, Issue 3, Summer 2001, Pages 234-240, ISSN 1077-7229, DOI: 10.1016/S1077-7229(01)80058-4

The efficacy of computer-assisted exposure (CAE) therapy for the treatment of flight phobia was examined. The subject was a 34-year-old man with severe fear and almost complete avoidance of flying. Six 50-minute CAE sessions and two 20-minute booster sessions were conducted over a period of 1 month. All self-reported measures of the fear of flying decreased following CAE, and before the subject took a one-hour flight with minimal distress. A follow-up after 6 months revealed that he had flown three times without anxiety. The implications of CAE for treatment of flight phobia are discussed.