Table 3.
Summary of studies assessing the efficacy of VR in the context of cue-exposure therapy.
| Author (Year) | Typea | Abstinenceb | VR Therapyc | No. of Sessionsd | Session Spacinge | VR Cuesf | Treatment effects on subjective craving levelsg | Treatment effects on physiological correlates of cravingh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALCOHOL | ||||||||
| Lee et al. (2009) | CT | Y | CBT | 10 | nW | E | VR therapy led to a decrease in craving levels after 10 sessions when paired with aversive stimulation | Increase in EEG alpha-power at right frontal sites |
| NICOTINE | ||||||||
| Choi et al. (2011) | CT | N | CET | 4 | W | E | VR increased craving for smoking related compared to neutral cues; VR CET led to a decrease in craving levels after 4 weeks | SC and EMG increased during social situations compared to both smoking-related objects and neutral cues |
| Lee et al. (2004) | CT | N | CET | 6 | E, S | VR CET did not result in a decrease of craving after 6 sessions of treatment | ||
| Moon and Lee (2009) | CT | N | CET | 6 | E | VR CET did not result in a decrease of craving after 6 sessions of treatment | Smoking-related VR cues increased activity in PFC and ACC compared to neutral cues; VR CET led to a decrease in PFC activity. | |
| Park et al. (2014) | CT | N | CET | 4 | W | E, S | VR CET did not result in a decrease of craving after 4 sessions of treatment | CO-levels decreased and remained stable until the end of the treatment |
| Pericot-Valverde et al. (2012) | CR | N | CET | 6 | W | E | Decrease in subjective reports of craving during the course of the treatment | CO-levels decreased and remained stable until the end of the treatment |
aCT, clinical trial; CR, case report.
bN, no abstinence at the beginning of the treatment; Y, abstinence at the beginning of the treatment.
cCET, cue-exposure therapy; CBT, cognitive-behavioral therapy.
dNumber of total treatment sessions.
eTreatment sessions took place either once (W) or twice (nW) a week.
fE, virtual environments; S, virtual social interaction.
gVR CET, virtual reality cue-exposure therapy.
hEEG, electroencephalogram; SC, skin conductance reactivity; EMG, electromyogram; PFC, pre-frontal cortex; ACC, anterior cingulate cortex; CO, breath carbon monoxide.