One spider session: does fear stay away for months?

NCT ID NCT06255821

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a single session of facing a live spider can reduce fear and disgust, and if that benefit lasts up to three months. Fifty-nine people with spider fear participated. They were tested with the same spider and a new spider at different follow-up times to see if the fear reduction spreads.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Exposure therapy (one session of graded in-vivo exposure with a spider)

What this could lead to

If successful, this could help refine exposure therapy for phobias by showing how long benefits last and whether they apply to new spiders.

What could go wrong

This is a small, completed study with only 59 participants. Results may not apply to everyone with spider fear, and the effect may fade over time.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder Arachnophobia specific phobia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience

    Bochum, 44787, Germany