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. 2012 Spring;5(1):57-64.

VIRTUAL REALITY CUE EXPOSURE THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF TOBACCO DEPENDENCE

Christopher S Culbertson  1 , Stephanie Shulenberger  2 , Richard De La Garza  3 , Thomas F Newton  3 , Arthur L Brody  1
Affiliations

VIRTUAL REALITY CUE EXPOSURE THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF TOBACCO DEPENDENCE

Christopher S Culbertson et al. J Cyber Ther Rehabil. 2012 Spring.

Abstract

Researchers and clinicians have recently begun using Virtual Reality (VR) to create immersive and interactive cue exposure paradigms. The current study aimed to assess the effectiveness of individual cue exposure therapy (CET), using smoking-related VR cues (smoking-VR) as a smoking cessation treatment compared to a placebo-VR (neutral cue) treatment. The sample consisted of healthy treatment-seeking cigarette smokers, who underwent bi-weekly cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBT) plus either smoking-VR CET or placebo-VR CET (random assignment). Smoking-VR CET participants had a higher quit rate than placebo-VR CET participants (P = 0.015). Smoking-VR CET treated participants also reported smoking significantly fewer cigarettes per day at the end of treatment than placebo-VR CET treated participants (P = 0.034). These data indicate that smoking-related VR CET may prove useful in enhancing the efficacy of CBT treatment for tobacco dependence.

Keywords: Cognitive-behavioral Therapy; Nicotine; Smoking Cessation; Tobacco Dependence; Virtual Reality.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Screenshots from the smoking-related virtual reality cue environment (smoking-VR) on top and placebo-related.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Self-reported cigarette craving during (time = 5), after (time = 10), and following (time = 15) each cue condition (smoking-VR and placebo-VR) presented in the cue-craving assessment (values represent mean change in UTS score from baseline ± standard error mean for each treatment group).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Treatment outcome measures: self-reported cigarettes per day and exhaled CO (ppm) measured at the completion of treatment (values represent treatment group mean value ± standard error mean).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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