title: Fear of falling: efficacy of virtual reality associated with serious games in elderly people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fear of falling is defined as an ongoing concern about falling that is not explained by physical examination. Focusing on the psychological dimension of this pathology (phobic reaction to walking), we looked at how virtual reality associated with serious games can be used to treat this pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants with fear of falling were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a waiting list. The therapy consisted of 12 weekly sessions of virtual reality exposure therapy associated with serious games.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen participants were included. The mean age of the treatment group was 72 years and that of the control group was 69 years. Participants' scores on the fear of falling measure improved after treatment with virtual reality associated with serious games, leading to a significant difference between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Virtual reality exposure therapy associated with serious games can be used in the treatment of fear of falling. The two techniques are complementary (top-down and bottom-up processes). To our knowledge, this is the first time that a combination of the two has been assessed. There was a specific effect of this therapy on the phobic reaction. Further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and identify its underlying mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adults Psychiatry, ICM-A-IHU, UPMC UMR_S 975, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: PRISME-Virtual Reality, ICM-A-IHU, UPMC UMR_S 975, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leboucher
authors.affiliation: PRISME-Virtual Reality, ICM-A-IHU, UPMC UMR_S 975, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rautureau
authors.affiliation: PRISME-Virtual Reality, ICM-A-IHU, UPMC UMR_S 975, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Komano
authors.affiliation: Department of Adults Psychiatry, ICM-A-IHU, UPMC UMR_S 975, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Millet
authors.affiliation: Department of Adults Psychiatry, ICM-A-IHU, UPMC UMR_S 975, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jouvent
keywords: anxiety disorders; fear of falling; phobia; serious games; virtual reality exposure therapy