Real-time monitoring of brain activity in patients with specific phobia during exposure therapy, employing a stereoscopic virtual environment.
Exposure therapy is a behavioral technique that is reported to be the most effective, long-lasting treatment for patients suffering from specific phobia. During the performance in enclosed spaces, the patients show a strong psychophysiological response to the phobic stimulus that is normally avoided. This psychophysiological response changes characteristically during the course of exposure. We implemented an electroencephalographic monitoring focusing on event-related potentials to resolve the modulation of preattentive information processing by the anxiety state of the subject. Therefore, mismatch-negativity (MMN) was chosen as parameter using a passive auditory oddball paradigm that does not interfere with performance in the virtual environment. The results of this neurophysiological monitoring are demonstrated in one patient suffering from claustrophobia.
Mager
R
R
Center of Applied Technology in Mental Health Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland. ralph.mager@pukbasel.ch
Bullinger
A H
AH
Mueller-Spahn
F
F
Kuntze
M F
MF
Stoermer
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface