Influence of perceptual cues and conceptual information on the activation and reduction of claustrophobic fear

Shiban, Youssef; Peperkorn, Henrik M.; Alpers, Georg W.; Pauli, Paul; Mühlberger, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.11.002

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…As mentioned above, exposure therapy has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of anxiety disorders; however, there is still room for improvement, and several lines of re- Additionally, a further study [75] explored the differential role of perceptual versus conceptual cues (fear-related information) in fear activation/reduction in claustrophobia and spider phobia. Results showed that perceptual cues produced higher fear activation and greater fear habituation.…”

Section: Vr-based Exposure Therapy Enhancementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review

Botella

Fernández‐Álvarez

Guillén

et al. 2017

Curr Psychiatry Rep

349

202

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This review is designed to systematically examine the available evidence about virtual reality exposure therapy's (VRET) efficacy for phobias, critically describe some of the most important challenges in the field and discuss possible directions. Evidence reveals that virtual reality (VR) is an effective treatment for phobias and useful for studying specific issues, such as pharmacological compounds and behavioral manipulations, that can enhance treatment outcomes. In addition, some variables, such as sense of presence in virtual environments, have a significant influence on outcomes, but further research is needed to better understand their role in therapeutic outcomes. We conclude that VR is a useful tool to improve exposure therapy and it can be a good option to analyze the processes and mechanisms involved in exposure therapy and the ways this strategy can be enhanced. In the coming years, there will be a significant expansion of VR in routine practice in clinical contexts.

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Section: Vr-based Exposure Therapy Enhancementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review

Botella

Fernández‐Álvarez

Guillén

et al. 2017

Curr Psychiatry Rep

349

202

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Another case series demonstrated efficacy of VRE for specific phobias in young people with autism spectrum disorder [53]. While not a clinical trial, a study on participants with claustrophobia demonstrated that perceptual information presented in a virtual environment (e.g., seeing a door close on you in a virtual room) effectively led to an increase in the activation of self-reported and physiological fear, suggested that VRE might be effective in this population as well [54]. While together these studies are promising, more controlled studies with larger sample sizes are needed to test VRE's effectiveness in a wider range of specific phobias.…”

Section: Other Specific Phobiasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Reality-Enhanced Extinction of Phobias and Post-Traumatic Stress

et al. 2017

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Virtual reality (VR) refers to an advanced technological communication interface in which the user is actively participating in a computer-generated 3-dimensional virtual world that includes computer sensory input devices used to simulate real-world interactive experiences. VR has been used within psychiatric treatment for anxiety disorders, particularly specific phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, given several advantages that VR provides for use within treatment for these disorders. Exposure therapy for anxiety disorder is grounded in fear-conditioning models, in which extinction learning involves the process through which conditioned fear responses decrease or are inhibited. The present review will provide an overview of extinction training and anxiety disorder treatment, advantages for using VR within extinction training, a review of the literature regarding the effectiveness of VR within exposure therapy for specific phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, and limitations and future directions of the extant empirical literature.

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“…In this context, virtual reality (VR) has proven useful as a means of investigating emotional processes, and as a new medium of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders ( Mühlberger and Pauli, 2011 ; Diemer et al, 2015 ). The advantage of VR technology in the investigation of emotional reactions is that perceptual and conceptual information can be easily separated ( Peperkorn et al, 2014 ; Shiban et al, 2016 ). Still, studies investigating the effects of tactile fear cues in VR are rare.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representation of Patients’ Hand Modulates Fear Reactions of Patients with Spider Phobia in Virtual Reality

et al. 2016

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Embodiment (i.e., the involvement of a bodily representation) is thought to be relevant in emotional experiences. Virtual reality (VR) is a capable means of activating phobic fear in patients. The representation of the patient’s body (e.g., the right hand) in VR enhances immersion and increases presence, but its effect on phobic fear is still unknown. We analyzed the influence of the presentation of the participant’s hand in VR on presence and fear responses in 32 women with spider phobia and 32 matched controls. Participants sat in front of a table with an acrylic glass container within reaching distance. During the experiment this setup was concealed by a head-mounted display (HMD). The VR scenario presented via HMD showed the same setup, i.e., a table with an acrylic glass container. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups. In one group, fear responses were triggered by fear-relevant visual input in VR (virtual spider in the virtual acrylic glass container), while information about a real but unseen neutral control animal (living snake in the acrylic glass container) was given. The second group received fear-relevant information of the real but unseen situation (living spider in the acrylic glass container), but visual input was kept neutral VR (virtual snake in the virtual acrylic glass container). Participants were instructed to touch the acrylic glass container with their right hand in 20 consecutive trials. Visibility of the hand was varied randomly in a within-subjects design. We found for all participants that visibility of the participant’s hand increased presence independently of the fear trigger. However, in patients, the influence of the virtual hand on fear depended on the fear trigger. When fear was triggered perceptually, i.e., by a virtual spider, the virtual hand increased fear. When fear was triggered by information about a real spider, the virtual hand had no effect on fear. Our results shed light on the significance of different fear triggers (visual, conceptual) in interaction with body representations.

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Influence of perceptual cues and conceptual information on the activation and reduction of claustrophobic fear

Cited by 28 publications

References 26 publications

Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review

Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review

Virtual Reality-Enhanced Extinction of Phobias and Post-Traumatic Stress

Representation of Patients’ Hand Modulates Fear Reactions of Patients with Spider Phobia in Virtual Reality

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