Virtual Reality Treatment for PTSD

Virtual Reality Therapy Controlled Study for War Veterans with PTSD. Preliminary Results. 07/19/09. More than 30 years after signing truces, there are still around 20,000 Portuguese war veterans that fill PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) diagnose criteria. Despite many of them attending therapy, the outcome is not cheerful. In this way, a research protocol was devised to investigate the opportunity of adopting virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) to reduce PTSD symptomathology. This protocol consists on a controlled study (VRET vs. traditional psychotherapy vs. waiting list), where in the VRET condition patients will be graded by being exposed to a virtual reality jungle scenario. The activating episodes, that are comprised of three cues (ambush, mortar blasting and waiting for injured rescue), are repeated 3 times each session. The cues' intensity and frequency increase from session to session. Patients are exposed to the VR world through a HMD (Head Mounted Display). This paper reports on the ongoing research where 4 VRET patients that filled CAPS DSM-IV PTSD criteria were assessed at pretreatment and at the middle of treatment (5th session). Results from IES and SCL-90R dimensions showed no statistical significant differences between assessments, with exception to obsession-compulsion dimension of SCL-90R (F(1;3)=21.235; p<.05), indicating a decrease in obsessive thoughts. However, through descriptive analysis, it was observed a reduction in all IES and SCL-90R dimensions, except for hostility and psychoticism of SCL-90R. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics via PubMed

Virtual worlds as a healing modality for returning soldiers and veterans. 07/19/09. Those who have served in recent conflicts face many challenges as they reintegrate into society. In addition to recovering from physical wounds, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorders, many soldiers also face basic psychological issues about who they are and how to find their place in a society that has not shared their experiences. To address these challenges, we have created a space that provides ongoing opportunities for healing activities, personal exploration and social camaraderie in an online virtual world, Second Life. In such worlds, where each avatar is controlled by a live individual, experiences can be unintuitive, uninviting, considered boring, or difficult to control. To counter this, we are implementing autonomous intelligent agent avatars that can be "on duty" 24/7, serving as guides and information repositories, making the space and activities easy to find and even personalized to the visitor's needs. We report the results of usability testing with an in-world veterans' group. Tests comparing soldiers who use this space as part of their reintegration regimen compared to those who do not are being scheduled as part of the Army's Warriors in Transition program. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics via PubMed