The VEPSY Updated project: Virtual reality in clinical psychology

Many of us grew up with the naive assumption that couches are the best used therapeutic tools in psychotherapy. But tools for psychotherapy are evolvi ng in a much more complex environment than a designer's chaise lounge. In p articular, virtual reality (VR) devices have the potential for appearing so on in many consulting rooms. The use of VR in medicine is not a novelty. Ap plications of virtual environments for health care have been developed in t he following areas: surgical procedures (remote surgery or telepresence, au gmented or enhanced surgery, and planning and simulation of procedures befo re surgery); preventive medicine and patient education; medical education a nd training; visualization of massive medical databases; and architectural design for health care facilities. However, there is a growing recognition that VR can play an important role in clinical psychology, too. To exploit and understand this potential is the main goal of the Telemedicine and Port able Virtual Environment in Clinical Psychology-VEPSY Updated-a European Co mmunity-funded research project (IST-2000-25323, http://www.vepsy.com). The project will provide innovative tools-telemedicine and portable-for the tr eatment of patients, clinical trials to verify their viability, and action plans for dissemination of its results to an extended audience-potential us ers and influential groups. The project will also develop different persona l computer (PC)-based virtual reality modules to be used in clinical assess ment and treatment. In particular, the developed modules will address the f ollowing pathologies: anxiety disorders; male impotence and premature ejacu lation; and obesity, bulimia, and binge-eating disorders.