Virtual reality therapy for agoraphobic outpatients in Lima, Peru

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is an effective treatment for anxiety and phobias, including agoraphobia, close the gold standard (in vivo exposure) with less cost and logistical problems. In our country, Peru, experience of VR use or research in phobia treatment with objective measures of anxiety and anxious manifestations in the body are not found. Objective The aim of the study is to determine whether treatment of agoraphobia with RV is effective in patients from Arzobispo Loayza National Hospital 2015 (symptom reduction: 50% or less), comparing its effectiveness with other studies and determine whether patients have side effects (cibersickness) as other realities. Method The sample consisted of 8 patients of both sexes with clinical diagnosis of agoraphobia. Subjects were exposed to virtual reality environments generated by Psious Virtual Reality application for agoraphobia treatment and skin conductance (measured in microsiemmens) and scale of subjective units of anxiety (SUDS) were recorded while the patient was exposed to virtual environment that provoke anxiety; they was measured by 5 sessions. Results All patients had clinical improvement and reduction in microsiemmens conductance measurement and SUDS: six patients improved more than 50%, with statistically significant results. There was only cibersickness in a patient. The results correspond to findings in other countries about the effectiveness. It is suggested that new studies expanding the sample and including other phobias.