title: Slope of change throughout exposure treatment for flight phobia: the role of autonomic flexibility.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of the Balearic Islands, University Research Institute on Health Sciences (IUNICS), Mallorca, Spain. xavier.bornas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bornas
authors.forename: Joan Miquel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gelabert
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llabrés
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balle
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tortella-Feliu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D001359:Aviation; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult