Can a Face-Reading computer task help understand anxiety?

NCT ID NCT04187326

Completed Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Worcester Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study looked at how people with high anxiety process emotional faces, since they often struggle to tell safe from threatening situations. Twenty-three young adults completed brain scans and some returned months later for a computer training task that teaches them to spot tiny changes in facial expressions. The goal was to understand visual system function, not to treat anxiety directly.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Facial Microexpression Training (computer-based task)
What this could lead to: If successful, this research could point toward new therapies that train the visual system to better distinguish safe from threatening faces in people at risk for anxiety disorders.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early-stage study with only 23 participants, and the training task is exploratory. Results may not apply to everyone with anxiety, and the intervention is brief and limited.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ANXIETY are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

ANXIETY

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine

Worcester, Massachusetts, 01655, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.