Immersive 3D Therapy Effective for Voice Hallucinations?
An immersive virtual reality (VR)-assisted therapy known as Challenge-VRT was associated with a greater reduction in severity and frequency of auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia than enhanced treatment as usual, a new randomized study showed.
METHODOLOGY:
This randomized parallel-group trial was conducted between 2020 and 2023 across three Danish regions and included adult patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (mean age, 33 years; 61% women) who experienced auditory verbal hallucinations for 3 or more months. On average, the patients experienced these voices for 15 years.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either seven weekly sessions plus two booster sessions of Challenge-VRT (n = 140) or matching enhanced treatment as usual (control group; n = 131). Challenge-VRT used a VR avatar of the patient's voice to guide them through phases of empowerment, self-worth development, and recovery while they wore a head-mounted display and engaged in a 3D environment.
The primary outcome was clinician-rated severity of auditory verbal hallucinations, as measured by the Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scales-Auditory Hallucinations (PSYRATS-AH) total score at 12 weeks.
Secondary outcomes included social functioning, the PSYRATS-AH-Frequency and Distress subscales, and the Voice Power Differential Scale.
TAKEAWAY:
Compared with the control group, the Challenge-VRT group had a significant reduction in severity of auditory verbal hallucinations (adjusted mean difference, -2.3; P = .03) at 12 weeks.
The VR group also showed a significant reduction in hallucination frequency at 12 (P = .02) and 24 (P = .03) weeks. Other secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups.
Challenge-VRT was generally well-tolerated, with a 79% completion rate for all seven weekly sessions. Although 37% of participants reported increased hallucination symptoms after the first three sessions, the frequency decreased after the fourth session and continued declining until the end of the study.
Serious adverse events potentially related to the VR treatment included five cases of hospital admission due to exacerbation of auditory verbal hallucinations and one episode of self-harm. Additionally, women had higher rates of psychiatric admissions and higher simulation sickness scores than men.
IN PRACTICE:
'Challenge-VRT showed short-term efficacy in reducing the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia, and the findings support further development and evaluation of immersive virtual reality-based therapies in this population,' the investigators wrote.
However, Mark Hayward, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK, noted several concerns in an accompanying editorial, including about how to effectively train clinicians to deliver this therapy and why the outcomes weren't sustainable. He also questioned whether a 3D immersive environment is superior to a 2D environment, such as watching something on a computer screen.
'The findings from the Challenge trial suggest that 3D does not add value to avatar therapy. If people with psychosis who are distressed by hearing voices are to build sustainable momentum for their recovery journeys, some of the remaining questions about avatar therapy need to be addressed,' Hayward wrote.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Lisa Charlotte Smith, PhD, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. It was published online on July 2 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
LIMITATIONS:
The control group received counseling without a structured treatment manual or formal quality assessment, making direct comparison with Challenge-VRT challenging. Hospitalization data were incomplete, and frequent but undocumented technical problems with the VR system remained unassessed. Key outcome scales were also unreliable or inapplicable for subgroups. Additionally, the real-world sample underrepresented ethnic diversity, and the use of a therapist-controlled, immersive avatar raised ethical concerns about informed consent and off-session effects.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was funded by The Innovation Fund Denmark, Independent Research Fund Denmark, Innovation Fund North Denmark Region, Psychiatry Research Fund North Denmark Region, and The M L Jørgensen and Gunnar Hansen Fund. Four of the 13 investigators reported having financial ties and research collaborations with Heka VR, who provided the software, and other sources. Full details are provided in the original article. The other investigators and the editorialist reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Fly, dive, repeat: Students' amphibious 3D-printed drone goes viral
Four Danish engineering students have captured global attention with their groundbreaking 3D-printed drone that can fly through the air and swim underwater, switching between both with ease. The drone has the potential to reshape search-and-rescue missions, as well as ocean research. The innovative machine was built by applied industrial electronics students Andrei Copaci, Pawel Kowalczyk, Krzysztof Sierocki and Mikolaj Dzwigalo at Aalborg University. It became an internet hit through viral videos showing the drone taking off from beside a pool, diving underwater, swimming around and then flying back up into the air without any help from humans. 4 Close-up of the 3D-printed drone built by Danish electronics students. Youtube/Storyful Viral The secret is in how the drone's propellers work. The blades can change their angle depending on whether the drone is in air or water. When flying, the propellers tilt to create lift. When underwater, they flatten out to cut through the water better and can even spin backward to change direction quickly. This smart design lets the waterproof drone go from flying to swimming and back again in one smooth motion. Unlike other similar projects that need complex moving parts to transform, this drone keeps things simple but effective. 4 Aalborg University students test their drone's seamless transition between air and water. Youtube/Storyful Viral The students built their creation as part of their final college project. They used 3D printing and computer-controlled cutting machines to make the parts, showing how modern tools can help students build amazing things. The team also wrote their own software to control how the drone moves and designed it so parts can be easily swapped out if needed. 4 The drone hovers above the water before diving in for another flawless swim. Youtube/Storyful Viral Associate Professor Petar Durdevic from the university's drone research group helped guide the project. The work has been praised as a great example of what students can achieve when they get hands-on experience with real engineering problems. What made this project really take off was the video footage. The clips show the drone smoothly moving between air and water from different angles, proving it can do this trick over and over again. The videos spread quickly across Instagram, YouTube, and tech news sites, impressing viewers with how seamless the transitions look. The viral clips typically show the same sequence: the drone lifts off near a swimming pool, smoothly enters the water, swims around with precision, then shoots straight back up into flight mode. While other researchers have built drones that work in both air and water, this Danish project stands out because it's simpler and more reliable. Instead of using complicated mechanisms that transform the drone, the team solved the problem with better propeller design that works well in both environments. 4 A poolside view shows the drone transitioning between environments mid-demo. Youtube/Storyful Viral Though still just a prototype, the technology could be useful in many real-world situations. Search and rescue teams could use one device to search from the air and then dive down to help people in the water. Companies that need to inspect ships or offshore structures could check both the parts above and below water in one mission. Scientists studying marine life could use the drone to follow animals or study areas where air and water meet. Military and security forces might find the ability to switch between flying and swimming useful for surveillance missions. The project has gotten attention from engineering teachers and robotics experts worldwide as proof that students can create genuine breakthroughs, not just classroom exercises. The combination of 3D printing, computer-controlled manufacturing and custom programming shows how today's engineering students can turn ambitious ideas into working prototypes.
Health Line
4 hours ago
- Health Line
Understanding Non-Mendelian Genetics (Patterns of Inheritance)
In Mendelian inheritance patterns, you receive one version of a gene, called an allele, from each parent. These alleles can be dominant or recessive. Non-Mendelian genetics don't completely follow these principles. Genetics is an expansive field that focuses on the study of genes. Scientists who specialize in genetics are called geneticists. Geneticists study many different topics, including: how genes are inherited from our parents how DNA and genes vary between different people and populations how genes interact with factors both inside and outside of the body If you're looking into more information on genetics topics, you may come across two types of genetics: Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics. This article reviews both types of genetics, with a focus on non-Mendelian genetics. Continue reading to learn more. What is Mendelian genetics? It's possible that you may remember some concepts of Mendelian genetics from your high school biology class. If you've ever done a Punnett square, you've learned about Mendelian genetics. The principles of Mendelian genetics were established by the Austrian monk Gregor Mendel in the mid-19th century based on his experiments with pea plants. Through his experiments, Mendel pinpointed how certain traits (such as pea color) are passed down across generations. From this information, he developed the following three laws, which are the basis of Mendelian genetics: Dominance. Some variants of a gene, called alleles, are dominant over others. Non-dominant alleles are referred to as recessive. If both a dominant and recessive allele are inherited, the dominant trait will be the one that shows. Segregation. Offspring inherit one allele for a gene from each of their parents. These alleles are passed down randomly. Independent assortment. Genetic traits are inherited independently of each other. Pea color: An example of Mendelian genetics at work To illustrate how Mendelian genetics works, let's use an example with pea plants, in which yellow pea color (Y) is dominant and green pea color (y) is recessive. In this particular example, each parent pea plant is heterozygous, meaning it has a dominant and recessive allele, noted as Yy. When these two plants are bred, noted as Yy x Yy, the following pattern of inheritance will be seen: 25% of offspring will be homozygous dominant (YY) and have yellow peas. 50% of offspring will be heterozygous (Yy) and have yellow peas. 25% of offspring will be homozygous recessive (yy) and have green peas. What are examples of health conditions that follow Mendelian patterns of inheritance? There are several health conditions that follow Mendelian patterns of inheritance. Alleles for sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis are recessive. This means that you need two copies of the recessive allele, one from each parent, to have these conditions. In contrast, the allele for Huntington's disease is dominant. That means that you only need a single copy of the allele (from one of your parents) to have it. Sex-linked conditions Some health conditions can be linked to genes in the sex chromosomes (X and Y). For example, hemophilia is X-linked recessive. In those assigned male at birth, who have a single X chromosome, only one copy of the recessive allele is enough to have hemophilia. That's why hemophilia is more common in males. Individuals assigned female at birth have two X chromosomes, meaning they need two copies of the recessive allele to have hemophilia. What are non-Mendelian genetics? Exceptions exist for every rule, and that's also true for genetics. Simply put, non-Mendelian genetics refers to inheritance patterns that don't follow Mendel's laws. Here are some different types of non-Mendelian genetics: Polygenic traits Some traits are determined by two or more genes instead of just one. These are called polygenic traits and don't follow Mendelian inheritance patterns. Examples of polygenic health conditions include: hypertension diabetes certain cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer Mitochondrial inheritance Your mitochondria are the energy factories of your cells and also contain their own DNA, called mtDNA. While there are some exceptions, mtDNA is usually inherited from your mother. You get your mtDNA from your mother because the mitochondria present in sperm typically degrade after fertilization. This leaves behind just the mitochondria in the egg. Examples of Mitochondrial health conditions include Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. Epigenetic inheritance Epigenetics refers to how genes are expressed and regulated by factors outside of the DNA sequence. This includes things like DNA methylation, in which a chemical called a methyl group is added to a gene, turning it 'on' or 'off'. Epigenetic factors can change as we get older and are exposed to different things in our environment. Sometimes, these changes can be passed down to the next generation, which is called epigenetic inheritance. Certain cancers (such as breast, colorectal, and esophageal cancer) have been linked to epigenetic changes. Neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and metabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes have also been associated with epigenetic inheritance. Genetic imprinting While we inherit two copies of a gene, one from each parent, in some cases, only one copy of the gene may be turned 'on' via DNA methylation. This is called imprinting, and it only affects a small percentage of our genes. Which gene is turned 'on' can depend on where the gene came from. For example, some genes are only turned 'on' when they come from the egg, while others are only 'on' when they come from the sperm. Examples of conditions associated with genetic imprinting include Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Silver-Russell syndrome, and Transient Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus. Gene conversion Gene conversion can happen during meiosis, the type of cell division that helps make sperm and eggs. After meiosis, each sperm and egg contains one set of chromosomes and therefore one set of alleles to be passed down to offspring. During meiosis, genetic information from one copy of an allele (the donor) may be transferred to the corresponding allele (the recipient). This results in a genetic change that effectively converts the recipient allele to the donor allele. Genetic conditions influenced by gene conversions include hemophilia A, sickle cell disease, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. What are examples of health conditions that follow non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance? Most health conditions we're familiar with don't follow Mendelian inheritance patterns. These conditions are often polygenic, meaning the effects of multiple genes contribute to them. For example, cystic fibrosis is caused by inheriting two copies of a recessive allele of a specific gene. However, there's not an isolated 'heart disease' allele that we inherit that causes us to develop heart disease. Mitochondrial disorders, which are caused by changes in mtDNA, are another type of health condition that follows non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance. This is because you typically inherit mtDNA from your mother. Sometimes problems with genetic imprinting can lead to disorders. Prader-Willi syndrome and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are two examples. How do Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics contribute to our understanding of genetic diseases in humans? Understanding both Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance patterns is important in understanding how different genetic diseases may be passed down. For example, if you have a certain genetic disease or you know that one runs in your family, you may have concerns about future children inheriting it. In this situation, working with a medical professional, such as a genetic counselor, who understands a disease's inheritance patterns can help you get an understanding of the risk of future children having the disease. Additionally, understanding genetic changes and inheritance can affect future therapies. This information can be important for developing gene therapies for a variety of genetic diseases. Takeaway Mendelian genetics focuses on the principles that there are dominant and recessive alleles and that we randomly inherit one copy of an allele from each parent. Some health conditions follow basic Mendelian inheritance patterns. Examples include cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease. Non-Mendelian genetics don't follow the principles outlined by Mendel. Many health conditions we're familiar with don't follow Mendelian inheritance patterns because they're polygenic, affect mtDNA, or are associated with imprinting.
Medscape
4 hours ago
- Medscape
When Medicine Meets Philosophy: A New SEC Series
Medicine and Philosophy, a new roundtable series by the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) in collaboration with Madrid's Círculo de Bellas Artes, aims to facilitate discussions between medical, science, and humanities experts. The series, which took place in May and June, was recorded and can be viewed online at the SEC's channel. Organizers and Topics The Hippocratic Chapter of the SEC, along with organizers from the Círculo de Bella Artes, decided on three healthcare topics to explore in the series. The session titles were "The Doctor-Patient Relationship in the Era of Artificial Intelligence," "Who Wants to Live Forever?", and "Is Boredom a Medical Problem? AI in Medicine: Pros and Cons AI's role in medicine was the first session's focus. Panelists discussed how AI saves time by streamlining data interpretation, allowing more time spent with patients. Ironically, the extra time results in the expectation that patient load should increase. The importance of physician input in AI advancement for medical use, as well as educating future clinicians on AI, were discussed. A Long Life The concept of living a longer life was discussed in the second session. A balanced approach to the topic by medical professionals and philosophers created a crossover of biological facts with existential questions about the meaning of life. Is Boredom Treatable? The last session featured panelists talking about boredom, whether it is a medical issue, and the social and medical repercussions of labeling these normal emotional life experiences as treatable conditions. Were These Roundtables Successful? Yes. All sessions sold out and this success has prompted the organizers to brainstorm future topics for collaboration. Also, expanding this series outside of Madrid is a possibility. Bottom line: Viewing healthcare topics through scientific and philosophical lenses can foster thought-provoking discussions, as shown by the success of the Medicine and Philosophy roundtable series. The full list of panelists can be found on the Círculo de Bellas Artes page for the roundtable series.
