Immersive Phobia Therapy through Adaptive Virtual Reality and Biofeedback

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder characterized by severe fear objects and situations. In recent years, virtual reality exposure therapy has emerged as safer more convenient method treating phobias, with the same rate success classical therapy, in vivo to stimuli. Following extensive research concerning available technologies after studying state art field, we developed PhoVR (Phobia through Virtual Reality) system during 2-year long project that involved participation technical university, biology faculty, an industry partner specialized designing 3D applications. Our final prototype incorporates scenarios for acrophobia, claustrophobia, public speaking which user is required perform gamified tasks navigate environments biophysical data acquisition (electrodermal activity heart rate), automatic level classification, biofeedback integrated into scenes’ elements, dynamic adaptation environments, relaxation techniques made at any moment. The control panel application dedicated psychotherapists managing patients’ profiles sessions. feedback obtained qualitative survey subjects who evaluated validated provided suggestions refinement.