Bentz Dorothée, Wang Nan, Ibach Merle K, Schicktanz Nathalie S, Zimmer Anja, Papassotiropoulos Andreas, de Quervain Dominique J F
Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Transfaculty Research Platform, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
NPJ Digit Med. 2021 Feb 8;4(1):16. doi: 10.1038/s41746-021-00387-7.
Smartphone-based virtual reality (VR) applications (apps) might help to counter low utilization rates of available treatments for fear of heights. Demonstration of effectiveness in real-life situations of such apps is crucial, but lacking so far. Objective of this study was to develop a stand-alone, smartphone-based VR exposure app-Easy Heights-and to test its effectiveness in a real-life situation. We performed a single-blind, parallel group, randomized controlled trial. We recruited 70 participants with fear of heights, aged 18-60 years. Primary outcome was performance in a real-life Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT) on a lookout tower after a single 1-h app use (phase 1) and after additional repeated (6 × 30 min) app use at home (phase 2). After phase 2, but not phase 1, participants in the Easy Heights condition showed significantly higher BAT scores compared to participants in the control condition (Cohen's d = 1.3, p = 0.0001). Repeated use of our stand-alone, smartphone-based VR exposure app reduces avoidance behavior and fear, providing a low-threshold treatment for fear of heights.
基于智能手机的虚拟现实（VR）应用程序（app）可能有助于解决因恐高而导致现有治疗利用率低的问题。证明此类应用程序在现实生活中的有效性至关重要，但目前仍缺乏相关证据。本研究的目的是开发一款独立的、基于智能手机的VR暴露app——“轻松克服恐高症”，并在现实生活中测试其有效性。我们进行了一项单盲、平行组、随机对照试验。我们招募了70名年龄在18至60岁之间的恐高症患者。主要结局指标是在单次使用该app 1小时后（第1阶段）以及在家中额外重复使用（6次×30分钟）该app后（第2阶段），在瞭望塔上进行的现实生活行为回避测试（BAT）中的表现。在第2阶段之后，而非第1阶段，与对照组相比，使用“轻松克服恐高症”app的参与者在BAT中的得分显著更高（科恩d值 = 1.3，p = 0.0001）。重复使用我们这款独立的、基于智能手机的VR暴露app可减少回避行为和恐惧，为恐高症提供了一种低门槛的治疗方法。
