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Virtual reality used to treat Iraq veterans
20/02/2007 - The first American soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to be treated with a 'virtual Iraq' simulation have responded positively to the treatment. The immersive system allows patients to relive traumatic events by combining realistic images, sounds and odours in a controlled environment.The subjects view either a desert scenario or a street scene, using a headset displaying video-game quality images. The intensity of the events the solider sees is determined by a clinician.
The first subject to be treated with the 'exposure therapy' was a 21 year old female soldier who had witnessed a number of suicide bombings while serving in Iraq. In the initial trial some of the participants dropped out after the first few sessions however the trial is now being carried out on a larger scale, although the actual number of participants had not been disclosed.
PTSD is a number of psychological symptoms people may experience following a traumatic, usually life-threatening, event. The symptoms can include reliving the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, increased irritability and self-isolation.
Dr Skip Rezzo, from the University of Southern California a member of the team that developed the system, advised that the treatment makes an instant impact on those being treated. "We see immediate post treatment gains. Those are the cold clinical symptoms but this translates into being able to leave the house, being able to go to work or being able to continue your relationship with your wife or loved ones," he said.
The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research found in 2004 that nearly one in eight soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan reported symptoms of PTSD. Researchers at other institutions have already used similar 'exposure therapy' treatments for people suffering PTSD following the Vietnam War and the World Trade Centre attacks.
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Published Date: 2007-02-20 12:03:12Subscribe to our RSS News feed:
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