Virtual reality therapy for refractory auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia: A pilot clinical trial

Schizophrenia Research
Olivier Percie du SertAlexandre Dumais

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness that poses significant challenges. While many pharmacological and psychosocial interventions are available, many treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients continue to suffer from persistent psychotic symptoms, notably auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), which are highly disabling. This unmet clinical need requires new innovative treatment options. Recently, a psychological therapy using computerized technology has shown large therapeutic effects on AVH severity by enabling patients to engage in a dialogue with a computerized representation of their voices. These very promising results have been extended by our team using immersive virtual reality (VR). Our study was a 7-week phase-II, randomized, partial cross-over trial. Nineteen schizophrenia patients with refractory AVH were recruited and randomly allocated to either VR-assisted therapy (VRT) or treatment-as-usual (TAU). The group allocated to TAU consisted of antipsychotic treatment and usual meetings with clinicians. The TAU group then received a delayed 7weeks of VRT. A follow-up was ensured 3months after the last VRT therapy session. Changes in psychiatric symptoms, before and after TAU or VRT, were assessed using a...Continue Reading

Citations

May 16, 2020·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Ghazaleh AaliFarhad Shokraneh
Aug 20, 2020·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Laura DellazizzoAlexandre Dumais
Sep 20, 2019·NPJ Schizophrenia·Dror Ben-ZeevSuzanne Meller
Feb 15, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Daniel GromerPaul Pauli
Jul 31, 2020·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Debaleena ChattopadhyayPamela Martyn-Nemeth
Apr 18, 2020·Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience·ZhiHong ChenChang Liu
Aug 29, 2020·Journal of Clinical Medicine·Mar Rus-CalafellTom Craig
Sep 24, 2020·Journal of Clinical Medicine·Olga Hernández-SerranoJosé Gutiérrez-Maldonado
Aug 28, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Emanuele BissoPasquale Caponnetto
Oct 11, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Han-Shen Chen
Jan 26, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Anastasia Pavlidou, Sebastian Walther
May 6, 2021·The British Journal of Clinical Psychology·Conan O'BrienMiriam Fornells-Ambrojo
Feb 20, 2021·Annual Review of Clinical Psychology·Paul M G Emmelkamp, Katharina Meyerbröker
Dec 1, 2021·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Adriano Zanello, Jules R Dugré

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