Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering (Oct 2021)
Development of a virtual reality simulation for exposure based addiction therapy
Abstract
After the success of virtual reality (VR) applications in supporting exposure-based and psychoeducational cognitive behavioural therapy for various mental illnesses, the technology is also gaining traction in addiction medicine. This paper will describe the concept behind a custom-developed VR simulation for this application with a particular emphasis on alcohol-related addictive disorders. Using Unreal Engine 4, an exposure simulation and a scenario for learning and applying coping strategies were developed for the Oculus Quest. Because of the common association of supermarkets with the procurement of alcohol among addicts, a small shop was implemented as initial scenario. Since the feeling of presence is an important parameter in the quality assessment of a simulation, the degree of immersion was evaluated in initial practical tests after development. In surveys with ten healthy testers, the majority showed a feeling of immersion. Cybersickness and unrealistic collision physics were identified as disruptive factors to the extent of immersion. This work provides the basis for a novel concept for addiction therapy which focusses on a fusion of playful psychoeducation, adjustable exposure, and the internalization of coping strategies with the help of multisensory biofeedback as well as the documentation of the objective physiological measurements for assessment of therapy success. The aim is to best possible address the specific requirements for clinical and home use in terms of self-containment, immersion, and ease of use. To evaluate and exploit the scientific potential of this concept scientific studies and technical improvements to both simulation and hardware are required.
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