Use of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Flying Phobia
Condition: Flying Phobia
MeSH terms: Phobic Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The project aims to explore the potential of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) for the
      treatment of the fear of driving, the fear of flying and the fear of public speaking.

      The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to compare the efficiency of
      cognitive behavioural therapy with exposures in imagination to behavioural therapy with
      exposures in virtual reality. Anxiety levels are measured using specific questionnaires, SUD
      ratings and physiological measures (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, breathing
      frequency, heart rate variability).

      Hypothesis: Treatments with exposures in virtual reality are more efficient than treatments
      with exposures in imagination.
    

Detailed description: 
      In the past, several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of virtual reality exposure
      therapy in the treatment of flying phobia and driving phobia. As an objective tool,
      psychophysiological recordings help demonstrate the decrease of physiological aspects of
      anxiety reactions (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, heart rate variability and
      breathing pattern).

      The aim of the present study is to examine the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy with
      exposures in imagination to behavioural therapy with exposures in virtual reality in the
      treatment of patients with flying phobia. Thirty patients will be randomized into either an
      imagination exposure group or a virtual reality exposure group after having received four
      sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy for coping with panic attacks. Respective exposure
      therapies consist in four sessions.

      Anxiety levels will be measured before and after the cognitive behavioural therapy for coping
      with panic attacks as well as before and after the exposure therapy sessions and after 3
      months using specific questionnaires, SUD ratings and psychophysiological measures (heart
      rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, breathing frequency and heart rate variability).
      The exposure stimuli will consist in a 10min movie of a flight with an insight-cabin viewing
      perspective.

      The investigators hypothesize that virtual reality exposure therapies will be more effective
      than imagination exposure therapy in terms of decrease of anxiety self-ratings and
      psychophysiological fear reactions.
    

Intervention name(s): Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; Exposure Therapy through Imagination
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants are exposed to the feared situation (flying) through the virtual reality technology; Participants are exposed to the feared situation (flying) through exposure technique of imagination.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Cognitive Behavior Therapy; Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; Psychophysiological Measures; Driving Phobia; Flying Phobia