Across North America…

➣ Carrin Pockrandt

Canada

Universities across Canada are currently conducting exciting research projects using virtual reality (VR) to assess, understand, and treat mental disorders, including anxiety disorders and eating disorders. These studies have resulted in the production of effective clinical protocols, enabling affected individuals within Canada to undergo enhanced treatment methods. The principal investigators of these various projects use a variety of technologies, such as high quality Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), eye-tracking systems, physiological measures, and precision motion tracking.

The CyberPsychology Lab of the Universite du Quebec en Outaouais, headed by Stéphane Bouchard, recently unveiled its addition of a CAVE system; one of the few in use in the world. The University’s CAVE, a 6-wall immersive room, is referred to as “Psyche” and devoted to research on VR, presence and mental disorders. Other researchers study eye-gaze patterns to assess sexual preferences among pedophiles, use a virtual bicycle to increase obese children’s motivation to exercise, and validate the VR environment to test executive functioning.

United States

Across the United States, small companies and university research labs are incorporating Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technology into more traditional medicine and therapy protocols. The combination of VR, MR, and in some cases haptics, provides for the assessment and treatment of a variety of disorders ranging from anxiety to traumatic brain injury to pain distraction. Protocols may include physiological monitoring and feedback for further training of patients or participants and objectification of results. American psychologists have developed successful protocols for the treatment of specific phobias (flying, driving, public speaking, claustrophobia, heights, and spiders), panic disorder, agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder due to motor vehicle accidents, and social phobia through conducting controlled studies with VR-CBT. Telehealth is also being explored for treatment through use of avatars and Internet-based worlds.

In addition to therapy and rehabilitation, the area of stress inoculation training (SIT) for first responders and military personnel is being augmented by VR simulations and more realistic wound creation through scientific advancements. One small company, Virtual Reality Medical Center, headed by Dr. Mark Wiederhold, is working with areas as diverse as posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic and acute pain, cognitive and physical rehabilitation, and SIT. The technology is proving to be an important adjunct to established methods.

Mexico

In Mexico City, five public health hospitals have participated in VR research by using VR to reduce the distress and pain associated with invasive procedures. Led by forward-thinking physician Jose L. Mosso-Vázquez, clinicians are using a Head Mounted Display (HMD) system in order to display VR scenarios to their patients during procedures. To date, almost 500 patients have participated in the studies, with the conclusions showing that positive results are being received, through both reduced patient discomfort and reduced cost of certain procedures, since the need for pain medication and anesthesia is greatly reduced.

VR has been shown by many groups to successfully reduce pain or discomfort in a variety of less invasive procedures, such as dentistry, wound care and physical therapy. The use of VR during these procedures has led to the exploration of the potential for VR to be used during pro – cedures of higher complexity. This is the first study to document the use of VR for complex and invasive medical procedures.

In the upcoming issues of C&R Magazine, we will continue to showcase the advances being made in other parts of the world. In the next issue, cybertherapy and advanced technologies in mental health will be examined in Asian countries.

Carrin Pockrandt
Staff Writer, C&R Magazine
www.vrphobia.eu
office@vrphobia.eu