Cognitive and Metacognitive Evaluation in VR-Based Avatar Therapy for Psychosis

Launched by FUNDACIÓ SANT JOAN DE DÉU · Jul 21, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new type of therapy called VR-based Avatar Therapy to help people with schizophrenia who hear voices that are hard to treat with usual methods. The therapy uses virtual reality (VR) to create an avatar, or digital character, that represents the voice a person hears. The goal is to see how thinking skills, understanding emotions, and social awareness affect how well this therapy works. Researchers will also look at whether past trauma plays a role. Participants will be tested at different times during the study to understand these effects better.

People eligible for this study are adults diagnosed with schizophrenia who have been hearing persistent voices for at least three months and are currently on stable medication. They need to speak Spanish, be able to give consent, and be regularly seeing a psychiatrist. During the study, participants will take part in the VR therapy sessions and complete several assessments to measure thinking, emotions, and social understanding. The study aims to improve personalized treatments and better support those living with treatment-resistant hallucinations.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • \*\*Inclusion Criteria:\*\*
• • Adults aged 18 years or older.
• • Diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to DSM-5 criteria.
• • Experience of persistent auditory hallucinations for at least 3 months (PANSS hallucination score ≥ 3).
• • Stable medication dosage for at least 4 weeks prior to recruitment.
• • Fluent in the spoken language of the study site (Spanish).
• • Able to provide informed consent.
• • Regular psychiatric follow-up care.
• • \*\*Exclusion Criteria:\*\*
• • Inability to identify a dominant voice for Avatar Therapy intervention.
• • Intellectual disability based on medical history.
• • Active substance abuse.
• • Central nervous system injury or neurological disorders affecting cognitive performance.
• • Severe visual impairment that precludes the use of VR technology.
• • Aversion to virtual reality or prior experience of simulator sickness.
• • Current suicidal ideation or risk.
• • Lack of cooperation or inability to comply with study procedures.