TY  - JOUR
AU  - Tsamitros, N.
AU  - Gutwinski, S.
AU  - Beck, A.
AU  - Lange Mussons, S.
AU  - Sebold, M.
AU  - Schöneck, R.
AU  - Wolbers, T.
AU  - Bermpohl, F.
AU  - Heinz, A.
AU  - Lütt, A.
TI  - Craving induction through virtual reality cue-exposure for patients with alcohol dependence in rehabilitation treatment.
JO  - Scientific reports
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
SN  - 2045-2322
CY  - [London]
PB  - Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature
M1  - DZNE-2025-00035
SP  - 30550
PY  - 2024
AB  - New therapeutic approaches for alcohol dependence (AD) include virtual reality (VR)-based treatments offering scalable options for cue exposure (CE), a well-established strategy in cognitive behavioral therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and tolerability of a new VR-CE paradigm. On an explorative basis, factors influencing the induction of craving were examined. This single-arm monocentric clinical study included n = 21 patients with AD in inpatient rehabilitation treatment, that completed one VR-CE session including confrontation with alcohol-associated stimuli. Measurements of subjective craving before, during and after exposure, affective states, VR side effects as cybersickness and the sense of presence in VR were conducted. Craving levels during and directly after VR-CE were significantly higher than before the intervention. Craving levels 20 min after VR-CE did not significantly differ compared to those before VR-CE. Patients described a pronounced sense of presence and only mild symptoms of cybersickness. Craving was significantly correlated with cybersickness. While positive affect decreased throughout the VR exposure, negative affect did not differ significantly in pre-post-comparisons. This study shows that craving induction through our VR-CE paradigm is feasible and well-tolerated by patients with AD in long-term rehabilitation. These results contribute to the development and future research of therapeutic VR-CE approaches.
KW  - Humans
KW  - Alcoholism: rehabilitation
KW  - Alcoholism: psychology
KW  - Male
KW  - Craving
KW  - Female
KW  - Middle Aged
KW  - Adult
KW  - Cues
KW  - Virtual Reality
KW  - Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy: methods
KW  - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: methods
KW  - Alcohol dependence (Other)
KW  - Craving (Other)
KW  - Cue exposure (Other)
KW  - Cybersickness (Other)
KW  - Sense of presence (Other)
KW  - Virtual reality (Other)
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - pmid:39695314
C2  - pmc:PMC11655979
DO  - DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-81071-0
UR  - https://pub.dzne.de/record/274054
ER  -