IntroductionThe essential feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to one or more traumatic events. According to evidence-based intervention guidelines and empirical evidence, one of the most extensively researched and validated treatments for PTSD is prolonged exposure to traumatic events; however, exposure therapy can present some limitations. Virtual reality (VR) can help to improve prolonged exposure because it creates fictitious, safe, and controllable situations that can enhance emotional engagement and acceptance.ObjectiveIn addition to carrying out a review to evaluate the efficacy of VR exposure-based therapy (VR-EBT) for the treatment of PTSD, the aim of this study was to contribute to analyzing the use of VR-EBT by: first, evaluating the adequacy of psychological treatment protocols that use VR-EBT to treat PTSD; and second, analyzing the acceptability of VR-EBT.MethodWe performed a replica search with descriptors and databases used in two previous reviews and updated to April 2015. Next, we carried out an evaluation of the efficacy, adequacy, and acceptability of VR-EBT protocols.ResultsResults showed that VR-EBT was effective in the treatment of PTSD. The findings related to adequacy showed that not all studies using VR-EBT reported having followed the clinical guidelines for evidence-based interventions in the treatment of PTSD. Regarding acceptability, few studies evaluated this subject. However, the findings are very promising, and patients reported high acceptability and satisfaction with the inclusion of VR in the treatment of PTSD.ConclusionThe main weaknesses identified in this review focus on the need for more controlled studies, the need to standardize treatment protocols using VR-EBT, and the need to include assessments of acceptability and related variables. Finally, this paper highlights some directions and future perspectives for using VR-EBT in PTSD treatment.

The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a mood-induction procedure in a Virtual Reality (VR-MIP) environment for inducing relaxation and generating sense of presence, and to test whether the stimulation of the senses of touch and smell improves the efficacy of this VR-MIP. A controlled study was carried out with four experimental conditions. All of them included the VR-MIP to induce relaxation, but varying the senses stimulated. The sample consisted of 136 participants randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions. Emotions and sense of presence were evaluated. The results showed statistical differences before and after mood-induction and a high sense of presence in all groups. However, no statistical differences were found among the four groups on emotions and sense of presence. The results showed that the VR-MIP was effective; however, the stimulation of the senses of touch and smell did not show significate improve of the mood-induction or the sense of presence. It was identified a trend in favor of the groups where the sense of touch was stimulated, they seemed more relaxed and the sense of presence was higher. We hypothesized that the stimulation of sense of touch, could improve the efficacy when using VR-MIP because it provides more sensory information.

This work describes a Virtual Reality Environment (VRE), through which users are able to view and test ceramic tile s that allowed them to feel "engaged" with the products. Users could choose between different kinds of products and test them out in order to know how they would look in a real-world context. In the VRE several Mood-Induction Procedures for inducing relaxation were included.The VRE was tested with respect to its ability to induce relaxation and sense of presence in 26 participants. It was also analyzed the level of satisfaction. Measures included the Visual Analogue Scale, the Self-Assessment Manikin, the Presence Self-Assessment Manikin, and a Satisfaction Scale. The results showed that the VRE was effective among participants in inducing relaxation and high sense of presence.VRE was high. The VRE thus could be a useful tool for showing and testing products and for evoking a positive emotional association while users are interacting.Keywords: Virtual reality; Product testing; Mood-induction procedures; Relaxation; Sense of presence; Consumers I ntroductionVirtual Reality (VR) is a computer-based technology that creates a synthetic reality using 3D graphics. VR Environments (VREs) are generated in which a person can interact in real time with different elements and can experience VR is interactive because users are not limited to being passive observers of the environment, they can interact with different objects found in the VREs, while the system responds in real time to their actions. VR is immersive, because with the help of some devices, users have the feeling of being present in the virtual world (Baños, et al., 1999).Virtual Reality provides consumers with the ability to interact with products without needing to be physically in a store (Ottosson, 2002), some industries are integrating VR technologies into the product-value chain but its inclusion is quite slow, and its use has been predominantly to provide information about products.Few works have studied other advantages of VR. Söderman (2005) used a VR system for testing car prototypes; he compared different prototypes using VR, hand-made sketches, and a physical car. He propose that while a physical prototype is superior for realism, it is also very costly to produce, difficult to modify, and expensive and fragile to transport.Therefore, VR might be useful because it could help to reduce costs of developing different physical prototypes. He notes that a higher degree of realism in the product representation did not necessarily bring about a better understanding of it, because participants already had previous experiences with each product. Kim and Forsythe (2008) analyzed the acceptability of a Web-based VR system, whose aim was to show and test some features of a product. The VR system allowed for the rotation of the product or the changing of its color, among other possibilities. They found that the VR system was useful, something participants attributed to its pleasant characteristics.They concluded that the interactivity of t...

PurposeComputerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) has been shown to be efficacious. Moreover, CCBT can be enhanced by using physiological and activity sensors, but there is no evidence about the acceptability of all these tools. The objective of this study is to examine the efficacy, expectations, satisfaction, and ease of use of an Internet-based CCBT program for preventing depression, with and without sensors (electroencephalography, electrocardiograhpy ECG, and actigraphy), in a high-risk population (unemployed men).Patients and methodsSixty participants at risk of depression (unemployed men) were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: 1) intervention program (N=22), 2) intervention program plus sensors (N=19), and 3) control group (N=19). Participants completed depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, and perceived stress measures. Furthermore, they also completed the measures for expectation, satisfaction, and the ease of use of the program.ResultsResults showed that the two intervention groups improved significantly more than the control group on the clinical variables, and the improvements were greater in the group that used sensors than in the group that did not use them. Furthermore, participants in both intervention groups scored high on expectations and satisfaction with the CCBT program (with and without sensors). The mean score for usability was 88 out of 100 (standard deviation =12.32). No significant differences were found between groups on any of these variables.ConclusionThis is the first study to analyze the efficacy, expectations, satisfaction, and ease of use of an Internet-based program using physiological and activity sensors. These results suggest that an Internet program for depression with or without physiological and activity sensors is effective, satisfactory, and easy to use.