The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-budget virtual reality exposure versus exposure in vivo in a within-group design in 10 individuals suffering from acrophobia. Virtual reality exposure was found to be at least as effective as exposure in vivo on anxiety and avoidance as measured with the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ), and even more effective on the Attitude t...

This study examined the value of virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VRGET) compared to standard graded exposure therapy using imagery alone for patients with flying phobia. Thirty subjects were randomized into either VRGET with physiological feedback of skin resistance, peripheral skin temperature, heart rate, and respiration; VRGET with no physiological feedback, or imagery conditions. P...

Cue exposure therapy has been reported to be an effective intervention for reducing binge eating behavior in patients with eating disorders and obesity. However, in vivo food exposure conducted in the therapist's office presents logistical problems and lacks ecological validity. This study proposes the use of virtual reality technology as an alternative to in vivo exposure, and assesses the abi...

This study examined the value of virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VRGET) compared to standard graded exposure therapy using imagery alone for patients with flying phobia. Thirty subjects were randomized into either VRGET with physiological feedback of skin resistance, peripheral skin temperature, heart rate, and respiration; VRGET with no physiological feedback, or imagery conditions. P...

Abstract Pain-related fear and concomitant avoidance behavior have been identified as major contributors to development and maintenance of chronic musculoskeletal pain and disability. While graded exposure therapy (GEXP) is advocated as one of the most effective strategies for reducing pain-related fear and disability, its practical utility and large-scale dissemination have been limited. The c...

We propose a Modular Immersive Virtual Reality System that can be used towards the development of Immersive Virtual Environments (IVE) with variable sensor requirements that, in turn, are intended to be used to support experiments related to Virtual Exposure Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Rehabilitation. Specifically, by utilizing the Unity game engine and modular sensor architecture, the propo...

The success rate for treating phobias with in vivo exposure is high. Unfortunately, few phobics (less than 15-20%) ever seek treatment. Virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy is also proving to be highly effective. The present surveys assessed 162 students high in fear of spiders. In Study 1, when asked to choose between multisession in vivo exposure vs. multisession VR exposure therapy, 81% cho...

With the advent of high-resolution graphics, high-speed computing, and user interaction devices, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a major new technology in recent years. An important new concept introduced by many VR systems is immersion, which refers to the feeling of complete immersion in a three-dimensional computer-generated environment by means of user-centered perspective achieved thro...

Advances in Information Technology offer new opportunities for rehabilitation. In particular, the immersion capability provided by a synthetic environment could be exploited to design novel assistive devices. In virtual reality (VR) users navigate and interact with 3-D, computer-generated environments that are highly flexible and programmable, enabling the therapist to present a variety of cont...