Virtual Reality Cue Reactivity for Alcohol Dependence

描述（由申请人提供）：虚拟现实（VR）的进步以及将逼真的视频图像集成到VR环境中，正在用于创建临床上用于治疗焦虑症的可用模拟。VR技术允许可重复、可控、方便和保密地暴露于各种情况。实验室线索暴露研究结合应对技能培训已显示出作为药物滥用障碍的辅助治疗的前景，尽管迄今为止这些治疗尚未得到广泛使用。本研究将开发并测试酒精依赖者的虚拟现实提示反应系统（VRCR-AD）的可行性。针对酒精依赖的VRCR-AD将VR的优势与特定的酒精线索，环境，相关的社会互动以及安全，保密和受控的实验室（或办公室）环境中的其他相关刺激相结合。将视频图像集成到VR环境中，允许暴露于复杂的线索，扩展了传统的线索暴露（反应性）方法，并试图消除难以量化的想象和繁琐的角色扮演场景。VRCR-AD还提供了在药物滥用研究中标准化、比较和评估临床线索暴露的机会。本文提出了四种主动线索暴露场景和一种中性大厅方式（可以回答渴望问题）的发展。VRCR-AD由与酒精消费相关的无生命物体、音频和视觉线索组成，这些线索集成到基于交互式计算机的系统中，用于物质滥用治疗和研究。将在一组40名酒精依赖参与者中评价VRCR-AD经验的影响。在暴露于这种VR场景期间，将进行与各种饮酒场景相关的渴望和生理唤醒（心率、皮肤电导和呼吸）的评估。长期目标是开发和测试VRCR-AD，以便为药物滥用治疗计划，个体治疗师，医院和药物滥用研究人员提供负担得起的，商业的，交钥匙的VRCR-AD系统。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Advances in Virtual Reality (VR), and the integration of realistic video images into VR environments, are being used to create usable simulations that are being employed clinically for the treatment of anxiety disorders. VR technology allows repeatable, controlled, convenient, and confidential exposure to various situations. Laboratory cue exposure studies combined with coping skills training have shown promise as an adjunct treatment for substance abuse disorders, though to date these treatments have not become widely used. This study will develop and test the feasibility of a virtual reality cue reactivity system (VRCR-AD) in alcohol dependent persons. The proposed VRCR-AD for alcohol dependence combines the advantages of VR with specific alcohol cues, environments, related social interactions, and other associated stimuli in the safe, confidential and controlled lab (or office) setting. Integrating video images into VR environments allowing exposure to complex cues expands traditional cue-exposure (reactivity) approaches and seeks to eliminate hard to quantify imaginal and cumbersome role-playing scenarios in treatment. VRCR-AD also offers opportunities to standardize, compare and evaluate clinical cue exposure in substance abuse research. The development of four active cue exposure scenes and a neutral hall way (in which craving questions can be answered) are proposed herein. The VRCR-AD consists of inanimate objects, audio, and visual cues associated with alcohol consumption integrated into an interactive computer based system for utilization in substance abuse treatment and research. Effects of the VRCR-AD experience will be evaluated in a group of 40 alcohol dependent participants. Assessment of craving and physiological arousal (heart rate, skin conductance, and respiration) associated with various drinking scenes during exposure to such VR scenes will be conducted. The long-term goal is to develop and test the VRCR-AD, so that affordable, commercial, turnkey, VRCR-AD systems for substance abuse treatment programs, individual therapists, hospitals, and drug abuse researchers for alcohol and other drugs of abuse are available.