Files

240572.pdf (175.7 KB)

Document type

Article

Version

Published version

Publication date

2020-12-31

Publication license

cc-by-nc-nd (c) Interactive Media Institute, 2020
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223257

Virtual Reality-Cue Exposure Therapy for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: Preliminary results

Journal Title

Authors

Director/Tutor

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Related resource

Abstract

The present study is part of a larger multi-site clinical trial aiming to test the efficacy of Virtual Reality-Cue Exposure Therapy (VR-CET) in patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD) considered resistant to treatment as usual (TAU). In this study, we focused on exploring alcohol craving, anxiety, and attentional bias as indicators of the efficacy of VR-CET as an additional treatmentto TAU. Twenty-eight adult patients from the Addictive Behavior Unit from Hospital Clinic of Barcelona participated in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to the VR-CET group (12 patients) or the TAU group (16 patients). Both groups completed the same pre- and post-treatment sessions, in which significant information about substance misuse patterns was collected and several questionnaires were administered (AUDIT, STAI, MACS and Alcohol Stroop Test). The VR-CET group was subsequently administered a six-session protocol of VR exposure (one hour per session) and the TAU group continued with their current treatment. T-tests were performed to assess differences between pre- and posttreatment groups. Although group differences did not reach significance, the decrease in the measures was more evident in the experimental group. CET based on VR is proposed here as a potentially useful complement to habitual treatments for AUD patients.

Subject

Tractament de l'alcoholisme, Realitat virtual en la medicina, Ansietat, Teràpia d'exposició, Síndrome d'abstinència

Subject (English)

Alcoholism treatment, Virtual reality in medicine, Anxiety, Exposure therapy, Drug withdrawal symptoms

Citation

Collections

Articles publicats en revistes (Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia)

Citation

FIGUERAS-PUIGDERRAJOLS, Natàlia, et al. Virtual Reality-Cue Exposure Therapy for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: Preliminary results. Annual Review of CyberTherapy and Telemedicine. 2020. Vol. 18, num. 261-264. ISSN 1554-8716. [consulted: 15 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223257

Export metadata

JSON - METS

Share record