Immersive Virtual Reality Technology to Develop an Understanding of Brain Function

Date: Mar 29, 2019
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: Society for Public Health Education Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT
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Addiction | Neuroscience | VR Training

Patients cursory comprehension of brain functioning and behavior may lead to unwillingness to engage fully in addiction and impaired mental health prevention, recognition, and treatment. Immersive headset-based Virtual Reality can help patients with addiction and mental illness understand the true mechanisms behind their suffering. In VR they visualize the intended impact of treatment modalities, take control over outside parameters, such addictive cues, and practice challenging those cues. Patients can apply virtual success to real-world challenges, where they can further build confidence and patterns of success. Our VR Brain Exploration project is creating a virtual brain patients traverse in an immersive virtual reality headset to improve understanding of brain mechanisms, confidence, and interest in learning more about the relationship of brain functioning.

Reference: Metcalf M, Tanner B, Tanner E. Immersive Virtual Reality Technology to Develop an Understanding of Brain Function Poster presented at the 2019 Society for Public Health Education Meeting, March 29, 2019, Salt Lake City, Ut.

More info on the authors: Mary Metcalf, Brad Tanner