title: A VR based therapy for the treatment of impotence and premature ejaculation.
abstract: The use of psycho-dynamic psychotherapy integrating virtual reality (VR) dealt with in this study on the treatment of erection dysfunctions and premature ejaculation started several years ago, after having seen the scarce results we obtained using exclusively a psycho-dynamic approach (accompanied by pre-recorded sound and music). Considering the particular way that full-immersion VR involves the subject who experiences it, we hypothesized that better results could be obtained during therapy for these sexual disorders and in particular regarding the nature of erection dysfunction, commonly referred to as impotence "a persistent or recurrent inability to attain, or to maintain until completion of the sexual activity, an adequate erection." The plan for therapy consisted of 12 hour-long sessions over a 25-week period, and the methods involved the use of a VR helmet, joystick and miniature television screens that projected specially-designed CD-ROM programs on psychological development.
authors.affiliation: Association for Research in Sexology, Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Optale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pianon
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Verde
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viggiano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003199:Computer Systems; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface