The Virtual Reality (VR)
Assessment and Treatment of Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) project develops immersive virtual environment applications for the treatment of Iraq War veterans diagnosed with PTSD. This project is funded as part of a larger multi-year effort by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR). The project uses a VR
environment as the basis of treatment, whereby a veteran with PTSD can experience a combat-relevant scenario in a low-threat context to
therapeutically process emotions and decondition the effects of the disorder.
By recycling virtual graphic assets built for the combat tactical simulation training game, Full Spectrum Warrior
and other ICT assets, the project is able to build prototypes quickly and cost-effectively. With the help of ONR, this project brings
together the technical, clinical, and creative forces of ICT, Virtually Better, Inc., and the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC) to help
veterans overcome the effects of PTSD and restore quality of life to them and their families.
Goals
The goals of the PTSD project are as follows:
Differences Between This Project and Others in the Field This project differs from others in the following ways:
- It
delivers a comprehensive range of objective VR exposure scenarios that can be tailored to the individual experiences of a person with PTSD
(Other research uses “imaginal” therapy.)
- It contains a “Wizard of Oz” clinician’s interface that enables the clinician to
control the virtual environment in real time to modulate patient
anxiety level as is required for therapeutic gain.
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