Design of Effective Therapeutic Interventions for Mild TBI/PTSD Using Interactive Virtual World Environments

摘要

We have organized a team of subject matter experts and engaged in the iterative process. Our clinical team chose a supermarket as the virtual scenario where veterans could receive cognitive and emotional challenges (create and follow a shopping list, purchase items, make change, shopping cart collisions, disputes at check out). A virtual supermarket was constructed that allows a therapist and patient, each at their own computer, to enter the virtual supermarket together, to choose items from shelves and place them in a cart. The therapist can allocate money that is placed in virtual wallet, can animate other avatars such as the cashier, can chose the noise level and the number of shoppers in the environment, as well as their appearance. A virtual personal digital assistant (PDA) is available to the shopper. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic VWEs for mTBI/PTSD are feasible, and show great promise to fill treatment gaps in current care delivery. Not only are new therapeutic milieus possible, but therapy can be delivered to patients regardless of distance with VWEs. IMPACT: This project shows great potential to expedite and expand care to veterans and wounded warriors in a short time frame, and in a cost effective manner.