April 29, 2008
Virtual World For Addiction Cravings
Research funded by National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism from University of Houston and published in Addictive Behaviors Journal, demonstrates that a virtual reality (VR) environment can provide the climate necessary to spark an alcohol craving so that patients can practice how to say "no" in a realistic and safe setting.
The lead author Patrick Bordnick points out that "as a therapist, I can tell you to pretend my office is a bar, and I can ask you to close your eyes and imagine the environment, but you’ll know that it’s not real, yet in this virtual environment you are at a bar or at a party or in a real-life situation. What we found was that participants had real-life responses."
Researchers studied 40 alcohol-dependent individuals who were not receiving treatment (32 men and eight women). Wearing a VR helmet, each was guided through 18 minutes of virtual social environments that included drinking. The participant’s drink of choice was included in each scene. Using a game pad, each rated his or her cravings and attention to the alcohol details in each room. Each then was interviewed following the experience. The study found that the VR environments were real enough that their cravings were intensified and demonstrates the value of using virtual reality as a tool for assessing and treating addictions. Future studies should explore the importance of environmental settings and other cues on cravings and relapse.
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