The Institute for Creative Technologies at University of Southern California began experimenting with the effectiveness of VR in the treatment of PTS in veterans after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The technology was already being used in first-person shooting video games, so researchers decided to apply the same concept to its treatment. The technology puts a patient in a simulated Middle Eastern combat setting, something much like what they would have experienced during active duty, and tries to promote healthy coping mechanisms through something called exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a proven method of treatment for PTS and other anxiety disorders. Essentially, this form of treatment exposes a patient directly to the exact source for their anxiety without putting the patient in harm’s way. The results of the experiments for this VR Exposure Therapy (VRET) have been exceedingly positive. By putting themselves back into a combat situation, with the guidance of a trained counselor, veterans reported significant improvement in the severity of their symptoms.
Following the results of these tests, medical professionals began incorporating the technology into the treatment for patients in their own specialties. Where some patients cannot tolerate pain medications, doctors are moving more towards VR as a means to manage pain. A scientist at the University of Washington created a game called, SnowWorld, which puts burn victims in an icy world to distract them while receiving treatment. Brain scans of patients undergoing this therapy has indicated a significant decrease in the amount of pain experienced at the time of treatment.
Doctors are also using VR to plan out and manipulate every detail of extremely complicated procedures before ever touching the patient. In extremely high-risk specialties such as heart and brain surgery, the ability of the surgeon to scan a patients anatomy and then put themselves inside he patient using VR, has dramatically increased the likelihood of success for many surgeries.
Researchers testing the various applications of this technology need to possess a considerable amount of creative insight to figure out how to use it. There are a number of hurdles to overcome in order to create a legitimate treatment that is viable to use on human subjects. These researchers also need to learn and build on top of the work of others. They take what one scientist or team has created, and shape the technology to effectively treat and care for their patients. Virtual Reality is becoming increasingly popular, and it is paving the way for other revolutionary tech applications in medicine.
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/3-ways-virtual-reality-transforming-medical-care-ncna794871
This is an incredible innovation and not something I would ever think to do. The whole concept of reintroducing them to the settings and sources of their PTSD is real smart way of going to the root of the problem per say. It also doesn't sound like it will have the laundry list of side effects that many medications today do. Hopefully this can be applied to several different situations and fields. Groundbreaking stuff
ReplyDeletethis is such an exciting breakthrough. Considering how devastating PTSD can be to those who have to deal with it, any possibility of hope is incredible. I really hope this ends up being helpful to many people!
ReplyDeleteUsing VR to really treat the sources of PTSD and other diseases at the roots seems invaluable to patients and doctors. It is good to see a method to treating patients that doesn't involve loading the body up with medications that may only provide temporary relief or lead to addiction. Creative alternative treatment strategies like this can really change the medical field significantly.
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