Virtual Reality Cue Reactivity for Alcohol Dependence

描述(申请人提供)：虚拟现实(VR)的进步，以及将逼真的视频图像整合到VR环境中，正在被用于创建可用的模拟，这些模拟正被临床用于治疗焦虑症。VR技术允许在各种情况下进行可重复、可控、方便和保密的暴露。实验室线索暴露研究和应对技能培训相结合，已经显示出作为药物滥用障碍的辅助治疗的前景，尽管到目前为止，这些治疗方法还没有得到广泛应用。本研究将开发和测试酒精依赖者虚拟现实线索反应系统(VRCR-AD)的可行性。建议的治疗酒精依赖的VRCR-AD结合了VR的优势，在安全、保密和受控的实验室(或办公室)环境中，将特定的酒精线索、环境、相关的社交互动和其他相关刺激结合在一起。将视频图像整合到VR环境中，允许暴露在复杂的线索中，扩展了传统的线索暴露(反应性)方法，并寻求消除治疗中难以量化的想象和繁琐的角色扮演情景。VRCR-AD还提供了标准化、比较和评估物质滥用研究中的临床线索暴露的机会。本文提出了四种主动线索暴露场景的开发和中性大厅方式(可以回答渴望问题)。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，集成到一个基于交互计算机的系统中，用于药物滥用治疗和研究。VRCR-AD体验的效果将在40名酒精依赖参与者中进行评估。将对暴露在这些虚拟现实场景中的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)进行评估。长期目标是开发和测试VRCR-AD，以便提供负担得起的、商业的、交钥匙的VRCR-AD系统，用于药物滥用治疗计划、个人治疗师、医院和酒精和其他药物滥用的药物滥用研究人员。

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.