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Cold Pressor “Augmentation” Does Not Differentially Improve Treatment Response for Spider Phobia

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Abstract

An emerging literature suggests that memory enhancement may augment the effects of learning-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Release of stress hormones, such as cortisol, has been shown to enhance memory. In this report, we evaluated whether a cold pressor stressor (CPS), which reliably generates stress hormones, may also augment treatment for specific phobias. Spider phobics were randomly assigned to CPS or warm water bath following a standardized session of exposure therapy. Inconsistent with our hypothesis, the CPS condition showed no significant enhancement in fear reduction compared to the control condition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301, USA

    Norman B. Schmidt, Ann P. Funk & Melissa A. Mitchell

  2. Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    J. Anthony Richey

  3. Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA

    J. Anthony Richey

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  1. Norman B. Schmidt
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  2. J. Anthony Richey
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  3. Ann P. Funk
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  4. Melissa A. Mitchell
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Correspondence to Norman B. Schmidt.

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Schmidt, N.B., Anthony Richey, J., Funk, A.P. et al. Cold Pressor “Augmentation” Does Not Differentially Improve Treatment Response for Spider Phobia. Cogn Ther Res 34, 413–420 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-010-9310-6

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