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Virtual reality therapy may improve alcohol dependence

A form of therapy utilizing virtual reality may be beneficial for patients with alcohol dependence, according to study findings in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“Virtual reality therapy has been applied to a range of psychiatric disorders, including specific phobias, fear conditioning, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder,” study researcher Ji Hyun Son, MD, of Chun-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues wrote. “In a smoking cue-related [virtual reality therapy], the results of functional MRI scanning revealed that cue-induced cravings for tobacco in a virtual environment activated the prefrontal cortex, including the superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, inferior occipital gyrus, and cerebellum.”

To assess efficacy of virtual reality therapy for alcohol dependence, 13 patients with alcohol dependence completed a 7-day detox program and then had 10 session of virtual reality therapy, conducted twice a week for 5 weeks. Twelve patients completed virtual reality therapy. These patients underwent positron emission tomography (PET) scans before and after therapy. Fifteen controls underwent PET scans at baseline.

The virtual reality therapy consisted of three stages. The first is a relaxation stage, in which participants were asked to recall a pleasant situation while a landscape was projected on the TV screen.

The second stage includes a high-risk scenario, with visual stimulation including alcoholic beverages and drinking environments, in which patients rate their cravings

Finally, in the third stage, an aversive scenario included visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli. The participant viewed a scene of chronic alcoholics vomiting after drinking and were asked to slowly drink a drink that simulated the taste of vomit .

At baseline, patients with alcohol dependence had greater metabolism in the right lentiform nucleus and right temporal lobe and lower metabolism in the left anterior cingulate compared with controls.

After virtual reality therapy, patients with alcohol dependence exhibited decreased brain metabolism in the right lentiform nucleus and the right temporal lobe.

“This is one of the first articles applying virtual reality to the field of addiction,” study researcher Doug Hyun Han, MD, PhD, of Chun-Ang University Hospital, told Healio.com/Psychiatry. “The sensory stimulation via virtual condition was similar to the brain’s response to situations observed in real life. With the tailor-made condition within the virtual world, patients can learn to accept harm and risk.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.