• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.75-87
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• 2016

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has been used for a several decades. However, we are not aware any studies that used a smart-phone based virtual reality techniques. In this study, we suggested a new smart-phone based VRET that included photorealistic techniques. We also evaluated the current system with 32 healthy participants, and results suggested that the current system evoked different emotional valences in indoor/outdoor and familiar/unfamiliar environments. The meaning of current results and potential applications of VRET were discussed.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.279-288
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• 2020

Objectives: Many fields have changed since covid-19, psychotherapy being no exception. With the pandemic associated increase in untact treatment, interest in virtual reality exposure therapy has also increased. The aim of study was to analyze recent literature using virtual reality therapy for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Methods: We searched five databases from dates between October 1 to November 1, 2020. We selected articles related to the treatment of anxiety disorders using virtual reality therapy and analyzed the trend of that, not thesis but domestic articles. Results: There were 6 RCT studies and 3 were case reports where, based on the DSM-4, the participants presented with anxiety disorders including 2 with presentation anxiety, 1 heterosexual anxiety, 1 test anxiety, 1 social anxiety, 1 dental anxiety, 2 Acrophobia, and 1 social phobia. Treatment sessions varied from 1 session to 18 sessions, but 5 studies conducted 4 sessions, and all studies attempted virtual reality exposure for 30-minute time periods. 8 studies used HMD as the VR device and 1 study did not report a device. Conclusions: Anxiety disorders treated using virtual reality included speech anxiety and acrophobia. Median treatment session number was 4 and sessions were less than 30 minutes. The most common VR device used was an HMD. VR psychotherapy showed limitations relating to patient experience including cyber sickness and a lack of immersion. In addition, most of the studies were conducted with patients who visited hospitals utilizing Western medical practices. Currently, virtual reality therapy (VRT) intervention in oriental medicine is lacking. The lack of research in this area suggests analyzing data from VR psychotherapy in oriental medicine could provide novel and useful information.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a training program using virtual reality on the balance and lower muscular strength of Parkinson's disease patients. Methods: The study included 22 patients with Parkinson's disease who were arbitrarily classified into 2 groups: 11 patients in the experimental group and 11 patients in the control group. Balance was measured with the Berg balance scale (BBS), the functional reach test (FRT), one-leg stance test (OLST), and the timed up and go test (TUG); whereas, lower muscular strength was measured with the sit-to-stand test (STS). Ping-Pong, bowling, and tennis were selected for virtual reality training for the experimental group, and were performed for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The control group did not undergo any of the virtual reality training programs. Results: A significant difference was observed in the BBS, FRT, OLST, TUG, and STS results within the experimental group that underwent the virtual reality training program. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed in the BBS, FRT, OLST, TUG, and STS values within the control groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, the virtual reality training program positively affects the balance and lower muscular strength in Parkinson's disease patients. This result indicates the possibility of application of the virtual reality training program to the management for Parkinson's disease patients, and highlights the need for the development and application of more efficient virtual reality training programs in the future.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2014

Virtual reality (VR) provides an immersive and interactive 3-dimensional system, which allows an individual to become immersed in a computer-generated situation. VR technology has been administered in the exposure-based treatment of a variety of psychiatric disorders, including acrophobia, fear of flight, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, VR systems have also been developed for the use of research and treatment in addiction. They might have advantages in cue exposure therapy, by increasing the salience of cues, as well as assessments of cue reactivity in addiction. This article summarizes the application of VR in the field of psychiatry. More importantly, it suggests the possibilities of clinical use of VR technology, in the treatment of addiction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.187-192
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• 2002

Research has shown that many smokers experience an increase in the desire to smoke when exposed to smoking-related cues. Cue exposure treatment (CET) refers to the manualized, repeated exposure to smoking-related cues, aimed at the reducing cue reactivity by extinction. In this study, we constructed a virtual reality system for evoking a desire of nicotine, which was based on the results of a Questionnaire of Nicotine-craving. And we investigated the effectiveness of the virtual reality system as compared to classical device (pictures). As a result, we reached the conclusion that virtual reality elicits more craving symptoms than the classical devices.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.203-209
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• 2004

Virtual Reality(VR) is a new technology which makes humans communicate with computer. It allows the user to see, hear, feel and interact in a three-dimensional virtual world created graphically. In this paper, we introduced VR into psychotherapy area and developed VR system for the exposure therapy of acrophobia. Acrophobia is an abnormal fear of heights. Medications or cognitive-behavior methods have been mainly used as a treatment. Lately the virtual reality technology has been applied to that kind of anxiety disorders. A virtual environment provides patient with stimuli which arouses phobia, and exposing to that environment makes him having ability to over come the fear. In this study, the elevator stimulator that composed with a position sensor, head mount display, and audio system, is suggested. To illustrate the physiological difference between a person who has a feel of phobia and without phobia, heart rate was measured during experiment. And also measured a person's HR after the virtual reality training. In this study, we demonstrated the subjective effectiveness of virtual reality psychotherapy through the clinical experiment.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.355-363
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• 2016

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a 12-week virtual reality exercise program using the Nintendo Wii console (Wii) in improving balance, emotion, and quality of life among patients with cognitive decline. Methods: The study included 30 patients with cognitive decline (12 female, 18 male) who were randomly assigned to an experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=15). All subjects performed a traditional cognitive rehabilitation program and the experimental group performed additional three 40-minute virtual reality based video game (Wii) sessions per week for 12 weeks. The berg balance scale (BBS) was used to assess balance abilities. The short form geriatric depression scale-Korean (GDS-K) and the Korean version of quality of life-Alzheimer's disease (KQOL-AD) scale were both used to assess life quality in patients. Statistical significance was tested within and between groups before and after treatment, using Wilcoxon signed rank and Mann-Whitney u-tests. Results: After 36 training sessions, there were significant beneficial effects of the virtual reality game exercise on balance (BBS), GDS-K, and KQOL-AD in the experimental group when compared to the control group. No significant difference was observed within the control group. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that a virtual reality-training program could improve the outcomes in terms of balance, depression, and quality of life in patients with cognitive decline. Long-term follow-ups and further studies of more efficient virtual reality training programs are needed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Simulation Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.231-236
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• 2001

Virtual Reality (VR) is a new technology that enables humans to communicate with a computer, It allows the user to see, hear, fuel and interact in a three-dimensional virtual world created graphically. Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT), based on this sophisticated technology, has been recently used in the treatment of subjects diagnosed with acrophobia. Acrophobia is a disorder that is characterized by marked anxiety upon exposure to heights, avoidance of heights, and a resulting impairment in functioning. Conventional virtual reality systems for the treatment of acrophobia have limitations, such as overly expensive devices or somewhat unrealistic graphic scenes. The goal of this study is to develop an inexpensive and more realistic virtual environment in which to perform an exposure therapy fur acrophobia. It runs on a personal computer, and a virtual scene ova bunge-jump tower in the middle of a large city. The virtual scenario includes an open tin surrounded by props beside a tower, which allows the patient to feel a sense of heights. The effectiveness of the VR environment was evaluated through the clinical treatment of a subject who was suffering from the fear of heights. Based on pre- and post- questionnaires and subjective comments from the subject. This virtual reality environment proved to be an effective and realistic tool fur the treatment of acrophobia.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to investigate the effectiveness of an 8-week virtual reality exercise program designed around the Nintendo Wii (Wii), in improving balance among patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Methods: The study included 16 patients with MS (10 female, 6 male) who were assigned randomly to experimental (n=8) or control group (n=8). Experimental group performed three 40-minute Wii balance-training sessions per week, for 8 weeks. The control group did not perform any of the training programs. A computerized dynamic posturography (Sensory Organizing Test, SOT) was used to evaluate all patients at baseline and at the end of the treatment protocol. Statistical significance was tested in between the patients before and after treatment by t-test. Results: After 24 training sessions, SOT showed significant difference on condition 5, 6, and vestibular ratios within the experimental group from baseline to post-intervention. By contrast, no significant difference was observed within the control groups. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that the virtual reality training program could improve the outcomes in terms of balance in the MS population. Long term follow ups and the development of more efficient virtual reality training programs are needed.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2013

Objective: Final goal of nerve advancement therapy is to provide maximum ability to function independently in life to patients. This paper appraises and describes basic concepts of the virtual reality (VR) based exercise program to improve functional movement for neurologically impaired patients. Design: Review article. Methods: Stroke patients from the physical therapy department while wearing comfortable clothing receive therapy and also VR based motion therapy administered by the therapist in charge. After evaluation of stroke patients, therapy includes an exercise program that is suitable for use with stroke patients; stroke patients wear head-mounted display while in front of the computer, where the camera is located; they follow the action on the screen and the computer perceives the operation of the stroke patients according to subject accomplishment. Results: According to obstacle condition of stroke patients using the method, which is various environments after setting, in stroke patients, there is a possibility of presenting suitable therapeutic environments. The display presentation of the method, which is identical, causes difficulty for all stroke patients. According to subject accomplishment; stroke patients result in execution of repetition training and deepening study, which leads to mobility. Conclusions: The VR based rehabilitation training programs is a difference of the existing video training program, is immediate feedback and compensation method. It will provide rehabilitation training services for the family of the patient whose condition could be improved with rehabilitative therapy where it is a continuous circumstance as a matter of the social welfare facility therapy.