TheraVR – A Closed-Loop MR Interface offering highly personalised mental health solutions

NHS的长期计划是到2024年将心理治疗的可及性扩大到190万患者/年。但这个数字只代表了25%的人与生活衰弱的焦虑作斗争。缺乏NHS心理健康预算加剧了这一挑战。因此，需要一个可扩展的、具有成本效益的焦虑管理平台，该平台可以观察每个患者在自己家中获得数字护理的权利，同时可以增强NHS对护理院人员的支持。科学文献表明，虚拟现实（VR）是管理焦虑最有效的数字解决方案。VR创造了“置身于想象世界”的感觉。我们的初步研究结果表明，沉浸在想象世界中的感觉会转化为更有效的平静效果。根据人格特质理论，沉浸感是一种个性化的感知，应该适合每个用户。我们的创新是闭环虚拟现实（TheraVR），实时监控用户的感官数据，可以让每个用户都“正确”，并实现“完全”沉浸。在2021年，我们与i-teams合作（剑桥大学），并调查了30名患者和10名医疗保健提供者对这一概念，其中92%认可了我们的创新。该项目的目的是进行一项交叉随机试验，以评估具有“正确VR体验”的用户与“一刀切”VR相比如何更平静。试验将从记录同意的基线平静指数开始。参与者平静指数是从多维数据中提取的，包括与焦虑建立相关性的脑电波和心电波。然后，我们将使用VR内容（黑暗中的爬行动物）引发焦虑。下一个阶段是在体验两个VR内容（A：拍摄的康威尔海滨和B：动态计算机生成）的同时监测参与者的平静指数。每个体验持续5分钟。每个参与者都作为自己的控制，因此参与者之间的差异被消除。所有参与者都将体验到平静的内容，但顺序不同。受试者将被随机分配至2个序列之一（AB或BA）。有一个60分钟的洗脱期，参与者没有接受任何干预，让以前的VR体验的影响减少。

The NHS Long-Term Plan is to expand access to psychological therapy to 1.9M patients/year by 2024\. But this figure represents only ~25% of people struggling with life-debilitating anxiety. The challenge is exacerbated by the lack of the NHS mental health budget. Therefore, there is a need for a scalable, cost-effective anxiety management platform that observes every patient's right to digital care in their own homes while could enhance NHS support for people in care homes.Scientific literature suggests Virtual Reality (VR) is the most efficient digital solution to manage anxiety. VR creates the feeling of 'being in an imaginary world'. Our preliminary research findings suggest a greater feel of immersion in the imaginary world translates to a more efficient calming impact. According to the personality trait theory, the sense of immersion is an individualised perception and should be 'right' for each user.Our innovation is Closed-loop Virtual Reality (TheraVR) where real-time monitoring of user's sensory data allows getting it 'right' for each user and enables 'complete' immersion. In 2021, we collaborated with i-teams (University of Cambridge) and surveyed 30 patients and 10 healthcare providers on this concept where 92% endorsed our innovation.The aim of this project is conducting a crossover randomised trial to assess how calmer user with the 'right VR experience' would be compared to 'one size fit all' VR.The trial will start with recording the baseline calmness index of consented participants. The calmness index is extracted from a multi-dimensional data including brain and heart waves which have established correlation with anxiety. Then we will induce anxiety using VR content (reptiles in the dark). The next stage is monitoring the calmness index of participants while experiencing two VR contents (A: Filmed seaside in Cornwell and B: Dynamic computer-generated). Each experience will last for 5 minutes.Each participant acts as their own control so the variation between participants is eliminated. All participants will experience both calming contents, but a different order. Participants will be randomised to one of the 2 sequences (AB or BA). There is a washout period of 60 min where participants receive no intervention to let the effects of the previous VR experience diminish.