TY - GEN
T1 - A usability assessment on a virtual reality system for panic disorder treatment
AU - Lee, Jaelin
AU - Kawai, Takashi
AU - Yoshida, Nahoko
AU - Izawa, Shuhei
AU - Nomura, Shinobu
AU - Eames, Douglas
AU - Kaiya, Hisanobu
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - The authors have developed a virtual reality exposure system that reflects the Japanese culture and environment. Concretely, the system focuses on the subway environment, which is the environment most patients receiving treatment for panic disorder at hospitals in Tokyo, Japan tend to avoid. The system is PC based and features realistic video images and highly interactive functionality. In particular, the system enables instant transformation of the virtual space and allows situations to be freely customized according to the condition and symptoms expressed by each patient. Positive results achieved in therapy assessments aimed at patients with panic disorder accompanying agoraphobia indicate the possibility of indoor treatment. Full utilization of the functionality available requires that the interactive functions be easily operable. Accordingly, there appears to be a need for usability testing aimed at determining whether or not a therapist can operate the system naturally while focusing fully on treatment. In this paper, the configuration of the virtual reality exposure system focusing on the subway environment is outlined. Further, the results of usability tests aimed at assessing how naturally it can be operated while focusing fully on treatment are described.
AB - The authors have developed a virtual reality exposure system that reflects the Japanese culture and environment. Concretely, the system focuses on the subway environment, which is the environment most patients receiving treatment for panic disorder at hospitals in Tokyo, Japan tend to avoid. The system is PC based and features realistic video images and highly interactive functionality. In particular, the system enables instant transformation of the virtual space and allows situations to be freely customized according to the condition and symptoms expressed by each patient. Positive results achieved in therapy assessments aimed at patients with panic disorder accompanying agoraphobia indicate the possibility of indoor treatment. Full utilization of the functionality available requires that the interactive functions be easily operable. Accordingly, there appears to be a need for usability testing aimed at determining whether or not a therapist can operate the system naturally while focusing fully on treatment. In this paper, the configuration of the virtual reality exposure system focusing on the subway environment is outlined. Further, the results of usability tests aimed at assessing how naturally it can be operated while focusing fully on treatment are described.
KW - Exposure therapy
KW - Panic disorder
KW - Usability test
KW - Virtual reality exposure system
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U2 - 10.1117/12.766461
DO - 10.1117/12.766461
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:40749160420
SN - 9780819469762
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - The Engineering Reality of Virtual Reality 2008
T2 - Engineering Reality of Virtual Reality 2008
Y2 - 31 January 2008 through 31 January 2008
ER -