Virtual Reality as a Tool in the Treatment of Claustrophobia - A Review

Within the context of psychology, virtual reality (VR) is presented as a technological tool to address and treat the symptoms of claustrophobia. Claustrophobia is distinguished by a fear of small or enclosed environments, which can be a challenge for conventional treatments. This research work focused on conducting a detailed analysis of the existing literature on using VR as an alternative tool to treat claustrophobia symptoms. The research results indicated that treatment with VR technology may be effective in providing a controlled and safe way to expose patients to situations such as those they fear, allowing them to overcome their fears more effectively. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of the use of VR to treat laustrophobia. A total of 384 manuscripts from different virtual databases were analyzed, from which 61 major articles were selected. The results showed that VR allows for treating different types of phobias such as Acrophobia, Agoraphobia, rachnophobia, claustrophobia, Fear of flying, Fear of public speaking and Fear of injections, achieving significant patient results. Studies have proven the effectiveness of VR in reducing the symptoms of claustrophobia, and it is anticipated that it will continue to be an important tool in the future

Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) art in care of ageing society: focus on dementia

open access articleBackground: Art enhances both physical and mental health wellbeing. The health benefits include reduction in blood pressure, heart rate, pain perception and briefer inpatient stays, as well as improvement of communication skills and self-esteem. In addition to these, people living with dementia benefit from reduction of their noncognitive, behavioural changes, enhancement of their cognitive capacities and being socially active. Methods: The current study represents a narrative general literature review on available studies and knowledge about contribution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in creative arts. Results: We review AI visual arts technologies, and their potential for use among people with dementia and care, drawing on similar experiences to date from traditional art in dementia care. Conclusion: The virtual reality, installations and the psychedelic properties of the AI created art provide a new venue for more detailed research about its therapeutic use in dementia

The use of XR technology in criminological research:a scoping review

Objectives: Criminology has begun to use virtual reality (VR) as a tool to understand criminal behaviour. There have been many advances in VR that open up the possibility of novel research designs, in addition to the inclusion of augmented reality (AR) as a potential research tool. A review of the efficacy of the use of AR and VR (together known as XR) within criminology is now required to guide the further development of this field. Methods: We employed a scoping review, which after screening, incorporated 41 papers for review. Results: We uncovered three important characteristics for the papers: research topics for which XR is employed, the prominence of VR research over AR and XR and methodological rigour. VR is mostly employed for creating scenarios, in particular in research on memory and aggression. Studies vary greatly in their use of interaction within VR scenes, description of technical specifications and sample sizes. Conclusions: Despite the identification of some methodological limitations in the existing literature, VR has found its place in criminological research. With technological advancement, AR may also find its place in the future, allowing for the ongoing development of research applications. Creating comprehensive guidelines on how to use XR technology in criminology remains necessary.</p

PhobiAR, an artefact of augmented reality to support the exposure therapy of specific phobias

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Informatics EngineeringPhobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Currently, exposure therapy is the most practiced method to treat phobias, although it comes with limitations. We can reduce these limitations by combining Augmented Reality techniques with exposure therapy. Its benefits are a decrease in costs, versatility of the process, and full control of the procedure by the therapist. As shown in multiple research, Augmented Reality has obtained interesting results in the therapy of psychological disorders serving as a foundation for the development of this project. The recent technological advances in the field also allowed for easier access to Augmented Reality which is accessible to use even in old smartphones. The goal of this Master’s dissertation was to develop an artefact in conjunction with psychologists who treat phobic patients, to create a program to support the therapy of phobias with a gradual exposure system. Their help was essential to understand the most important features needed for the platform. The platform was deployed in the informatics department servers, which could be accessed by everyone that had internet connection. Multiple psychologists were invited to test the platform by following a user guide created and give their technical feedback in the end. The results gathered were positive, which proves the viability of this system as an extension to the current methods by providing comfort and efficiency.A fobia é um tipo de transtorno de ansiedade definido por um medo persistente e excessivo de um objeto ou situação. Atualmente, o terapia de exposição é o método mais praticado para tratar fobias, embora com limitações. Estas limitações são reduzidas combinando técnicas de Realidade Aumentada com a terapia de exposição. Os seus benefícios são uma redução de custos, versatilidade do processo e controle total do procedimento pelo terapeuta. Como foi demostrado em várias pesquisas, a Realidade Aumentada obteve resultados interessantes no tratamento de distúrbios psicológicos, servindo de base para o desenvolvimento deste projeto. Os recentes avanços tecnológicos no campo permitem também um acesso fácil à Realidade Aumentada, acessível para uso mesmo em smartphones antigos. Nosso objetivo é desenvolver um artefato em conjunto com psicólogos que tratam de pacientes fóbicos, para criar um programa para apoiar o tratamento de fobias com um sistema de exposição gradual. A ajuda deles foi essencial para entender os recursos que são mais importantes para a plataforma. A plataforma foi colocada nos servidores do departamento de informática e podia ser acedida por qualquer pessoa que tivesse conexão à internet. Vários psicólogos foram convidados a testar a plataforma seguindo um guião criado e dando seu feedback técnico no final. Os resultados recolhidos foram positivos, o que comprova a viabilidade deste sistema como uma extensão dos métodos atuais providenciando conforto e eficiência