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Improving Anorexia Nervosa Treatment with Virtual Reality Body Exposure and Attentional Bias Modification: A Single Case Study.
- Source :
- Applied Sciences (2076-3417); Jun2024, Vol. 14 Issue 11, p4340, 14p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- This case study explores the potential of integrating attentional bias modification training (ABMT) with mirror exposure therapy (MET), utilizing virtual reality and eye-tracking, for a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The ABMT-MET intervention was used alongside a standard treatment program called Home Treatment (HoT), which combines cognitive behavioral therapy with family-based therapy. Though the patient began HoT with a 3-week inpatient phase, the ABMT-MET intervention specifically took place during the subsequent Home Treatment sessions. The experimental treatment, comprising five consecutive weekly sessions, was bookended by pre- and post-assessment sessions and included a six-month follow-up. During the sessions, the patient engaged in systematic and hierarchical exposure to a virtual representation of her silhouette, with gradual adjustments made to the avatar's body mass index (BMI) toward a healthier range. ABMT sessions, conducted before each MET session, aimed to redistribute the patient's focus evenly across her body, successfully neutralizing her initial attentional bias toward non-weight-related body parts. The patient demonstrated consistent decreases in anxiety and fear of weight gain, effectively progressing through the BMI hierarchy in the virtual setting. Post-treatment assessments indicated significant enhancements in body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, body-checking behaviors, and body appreciation, with these gains preserved at the six-month follow-up, although the attentional bias returned to pre-treatment levels. Though the single-case design limits definitive conclusions, these findings suggest ABMT-MET may be a promising adjunct therapy for AN, requiring further research for confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20763417
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Applied Sciences (2076-3417)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 177852652
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114340