VR-based Avatar Therapy for Treatment of Auditory Hallucinations

Launched by SEMMELWEIS UNIVERSITY · Jul 10, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new treatment called AVATAR therapy, designed to help people living with schizophrenia who still hear distressing voices, known as auditory hallucinations, even while taking medication. The therapy uses virtual reality (VR) technology to create a safe environment where patients can confront and manage these voices with the support of a trained therapist. Over the course of 12 weeks, participants will attend seven individual sessions, each lasting about 50 minutes. The goal is to reduce the intensity and frequency of the voices and improve overall mental health, including symptoms like anxiety and depression.

To be eligible for this study, participants need to be at least 18 years old and diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. They should have been experiencing auditory hallucinations for at least three months and be stable on their medication for the last four weeks. Patients will need to understand the language spoken at the study sites (Hungarian, Spanish, or Polish) and give their informed consent, meaning they understand and agree to participate in the study. Throughout the trial, their progress will be monitored to ensure safety and to assess how well the therapy is working. This innovative approach aims to provide new coping strategies for those struggling with these challenging symptoms.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to DSM-5,
• • Age 18 or older,
• • The fluent use of the spoken language at the site (Hungarian/Spanish/Polish),
• • Informed consent provided by the patient or their caregiver after being informed about the research procedure
• • Stable medication dosage for at least 4 weeks prior to recruitment,
• • Regular psychiatric follow-up,
• • Experience of auditory hallucinations for at least three months (PANSS hallucination score of at least 3 points),
• • Meeting the remission criteria described by Andreasen, except for the score related to auditory hallucinations
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Inability to identify a single dominant voice that is the subject of the intervention,
• • Lack of cooperation,
• • Intellectual disability based on medical history,
• • Regular substance abuse
• • Central nervous system injury or neurological disease that affects cognitive performance,
• • Suicidal risk
• • Aversion to virtual reality,
• • Severe visual impairment