Letter from the Publisher

Professor Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold

Dear Reader,

I would first like to welcome all our new readers and thank our returning readers of CyberTherapy and Rehabilitation Magazine (C&R), the official voice of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training and Rehabilitation (iACToR). iACToR, formerly known as the International Association of CyberTherapy and Rehabilitation (IACR), is an international association dedicated to the promotion of virtual reality and advanced technologies as an adjunct to more traditional forms of healthcare. It also addresses issues concerning technology’s role in altering behavior on both an individual as well as a societal level.

As well as thanking readers for their encouragement and support, I would like to specially thank C&R’s Editorial Board members’ unending dedication as well as the Management Board and Founding Members of iACToR. With our combined communications platform we have successfully formed affiliations with several other associations, conferences, publications and institutional partners to further strengthen the goals of the association and reach out to experts, academic peers, industry leaders and government officials.

This issue we focus on iRehab, specifically the way in which new technology is applied to rehabilitation, both in the mental and physical healthcare sectors. Everywhere around us, we hear of change in this direction, from phone applications helping users become healthier through tracking food consumption to medical centers across the country using Twittercast to reach out to patients and students. The Twitter medium has become so popular that it recently helped lead to the successful bone marrow transplant of a five-year-old girl in New York City. As the use of advanced technology in these fields has become more established throughout the world, we now turn our attention not only to Europe and the U.S. but look further afield to its implementation in Asia.

Our lead article discusses the surge in mobile platforms and the ways in which they affect handhelds and iRehab applications. Next, we take a closer look at mobile health and handhelds, in particular, in our Product Comparison Chart. The positive effects of interactive rehabilitation will be explored and the reader will be introduced to the notion of a “handheld generation” and the effects of technological innovations in this area. Following articles discuss the effects of virtual reality exposure on patients with eating disorders and returning war fighters suffering from stress and pain. A study measuring presence in virtual reality environments is presented and lastly, an article on surgical simulation. I would like to sincerely thank contributing authors for their time and energy. These articles and studies are helping to pave the way for new advancements in healthcare and C&R is proud to be a part of the movement.

Looking to the future, upcoming issues of C&R will discuss topics such as robotics, brain imaging, cognitive enhancement with technology and much more. There is a wealth of advanced technology for healthcare, and C&R will continue to dedicate itself to bringing you news of exciting developments in this field.

I hope that new and returning readers alike find these topics stimulating and use the material to foster new relevant ideas. We welcome readers’ input so please contact me, or the C&R Managing Editor, Emily Butcher, at office @ vrphobia.eu, with your comments and suggestions.

Create your own reality!
Brenda Wiederhold