Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2a, 57068, Siegen, Germany.
Department of Medical Informatics und Microsystems Engineering, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany.
Trials. 2020 Feb 26;21(1):227. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-4098-5.
Automatic processes to approach smoking-related cues have been repeatedly linked to smoking status, intensity of smoking, and cigarette craving. Moreover, recent findings suggest that targeting those tendencies directly by means of approach bias modification (ABM) has merit in changing maladaptive approach tendencies for drug cues and reducing drug consumption. However, training effects tend to be small. Embedding the training into virtual reality (VR) technology could be a promising way to improve training efficacy. The present protocol describes a randomized controlled trial that aims to assess the efficacy of a newly developed VR-ABM as a means of reducing smoking-related approach biases or nicotine consumption in smokers seeking abstinence.
One hundred daily smokers who are motivated to quit smoking will be recruited into the randomized controlled trial. All participants will attend a brief smoking cessation intervention (TAU) and will be randomly assigned either to the experimental (VR-avoidance training) or the placebo-control group (VR-placebo training). During the VR-avoidance training, participants are implicitly instructed to make an avoidance movement in response to smoking-related objects (e.g., cigarettes) and an approach movement in response to alternative objects (e.g., healthy food). During the VR-placebo training, no such contingency between arm movement and item content exists. Trainings are administered in six sessions within two weeks. Training effects on automatic approach tendencies and smoking behavior are measured immediately after training and at a 7-week follow-up.
Embedding the training into virtual reality (VR) technology could be a promising new way to improve ecological validity, realism, and immersion and thereby increase ABM training effects. The results of this study can inform future research in the optimization and advancement of treatment for addiction.
Registered with Current Controlled Trials: study ID ISRCTN16006023. Registered on 28 March 2019.
自动趋近与吸烟相关线索的过程已被反复证明与吸烟状况、吸烟强度和吸烟渴求有关。此外，最近的研究结果表明，通过接近偏差修正（ABM）直接针对这些倾向具有改变药物线索的适应不良趋近倾向和减少药物使用的优点。然而，训练效果往往很小。将训练嵌入虚拟现实（VR）技术可能是提高训练效果的一种有前途的方法。本方案描述了一项随机对照试验，旨在评估新开发的 VR-ABM 作为减少寻求戒烟的吸烟者与吸烟相关的趋近偏差或尼古丁消耗的方法的疗效。
将招募 100 名有戒烟意愿的每日吸烟者参加随机对照试验。所有参与者将参加简短的戒烟干预（TAU），并随机分配到实验组（VR-回避训练）或安慰剂对照组（VR-安慰剂训练）。在 VR-回避训练中，参与者被隐式指示对与吸烟相关的物体（例如香烟）做出回避动作，对替代物体（例如健康食品）做出趋近动作。在 VR-安慰剂训练中，手臂运动和项目内容之间不存在这种关联。在两周内进行六次训练。训练结束后立即和 7 周随访时测量自动趋近倾向和吸烟行为的训练效果。
将训练嵌入虚拟现实（VR）技术可能是提高生态有效性、现实感和沉浸感的一种很有前途的新方法，从而增加 ABM 训练效果。这项研究的结果可以为未来的成瘾治疗优化和进步提供信息。
在当前对照试验中注册：研究 ID ISRCTN6006023。于 2019 年 3 月 28 日注册。
