Feasibility of Immersive Virtual Reality Cue Reactivity for Nicotine Craving

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议使用沉浸式虚拟现实线索反应系统（IVRCR）来探索环境背景和线索类型对尼古丁渴望和依赖的影响。传统的线索反应方法被批评为缺乏现实性和不提供暴露在现实的环境背景。拟议的IVRCR系统提供了在一致的环境背景下（例如，聚会环境与实验室）暴露于复杂的社会线索和现实的人际关系情境的机会。本研究以105名成年尼古丁依赖者为研究对象，通过对照线索反应实验，考察环境背景对烟瘾和烟瘾的影响。任务将被随机分配到三个情境组，他们将在IVRCR或传统线索反应范式中暴露于中性和吸烟线索。生理唤醒、主观渴望、沉浸感、线索注意和情绪状态将在组间进行比较，并对吸烟背景和线索类型主要影响的三个假设进行检验。研究结果将有助于建立渴望的条件反射理论，以及环境对药物依赖和复吸的影响。研究结果将为线索的泛化性和线索反应性理论的其他重要问题提供更多的信息。我们建议使用沉浸式虚拟现实线索反应系统（IVRCR）来探索环境背景和线索类型对尼古丁渴望和依赖的影响。拟议的IVRCR系统提供了在一致的环境背景下（例如，聚会环境与实验室）暴露于复杂的社会线索和现实的人际关系情境的机会。公共卫生相关性：我们相信VR线索方法的添加将充分模仿传统的线索反应性（非VR方法），并扩展这些方法来研究环境背景对渴望和依赖的影响，这是传统线索方法目前没有提供的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We proposed to explore the impact of environmental context and cue type in nicotine craving and dependence using an immersive virtual reality cue reactivity system (IVRCR). Traditional cue reactivity approaches have been criticized for lacking realism and not providing exposure in realistic environmental contexts. The proposed IVRCR system provides exposure to complex social cues and realistic interpersonal situations within congruent environmental contexts (e.g. party setting vs. lab room). The impact of environmental context on craving and immersion will be tested in a controlled cue reactivity experiment of 105 adult nicotine dependent smokers. Assignment will be randomized to three context groups who will be exposed to both neutral and smoking cues in either a IVRCR or traditional cue reactivity paradigm. Physiological arousal, subjective craving, immersion, attention to cues, and mood state will be compared between groups and three hypotheses concerning the main effects of smoking context and cue type will be tested. Results will contribute to the conditioning theory of craving and the effect of context in drug dependence and relapse. The study results will provide additional information relevant to generalizability of cues and other significant issues in cue reactivity theory. We proposed to explore the impact of environmental context and cue type in nicotine craving and dependence using an immersive virtual reality cue reactivity system (IVRCR). The proposed IVRCR system provides exposure to complex social cues and realistic interpersonal situations within congruent environmental contexts (e.g. party setting vs. lab room). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We believe that the additions to VR cue methods will sufficiently emulate traditional cue reactivity (non-VR methods), and expand these methods to study the impact of environmental context on craving and dependence, not currently offered in traditional cue approaches.