Secondary outcome measures
phobias, anxiety, Regarding cardiac stress, anxiety-related behavior, AD
DISORDER, SECONDARY, DISORDERS
Blood-based parameters are easy to access in patients and therefore could have an immense use in diagnostic and predictive ways within the personalized medicine approach. In the present study, we focus on stress-related endocrine measurements, neuropeptides and DNA-methylation as measurable parameters in the peripheral blood to explore (1) their utility as a proxy for the fear-related phenotype, (2) potential predictive use for therapy response and (3) the dynamic changes within the therapy course.Stress is one of the important factors contributing to the development and relapse of various anxiety disorders. In a recent meta-analysis, cumulative HPA-axis parameters and autonomous nervous system markers were associated with anxiety arousal and fear severity [Neuropeptides serve as messenger substances or as co-transmitters, i.e. with 5-HT, GABA or norepinephrine. A number of neuropeptides have been shown to modulate anxiety-related behavior in various preclinical models [Genetic factors contribute to the aetiology of anxiety disorders (AD) with heritability estimates ranging around 20–40% for special phobias and social anxiety disorder [Regarding cardiac stress by measuring heart frequency and blood pressure and regarding MPA by assessing SUDs during the BAT, a significant difference indicating less cardiac stress or lower ratings of MPA during the BAT between the time before and after therapy is expected.Summarizing, an overview of all primary and secondary outcome parameters and its measures is given in Table 
Overview of the constructs and measuresSalivary Alpha-Amylase hormoneAtrial natriuretic Polypeptide (ANP)