Using Virtual Reality for Car Crash Traumas

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDayNews) -- A virtual reality driving simulator that may help survivors of car accidents recover from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been developed by University at Buffalo (UB) researchers.

While PTSD is common among people who survive serious traffic accidents, the condition is often untreated.

The UB researchers are using their two-seat simulator to treat survivors of serious traffic accidents as part of a study to test the effectiveness of the simulator. The researchers' goal is to develop a treatment program using the simulator and create virtual reality software that can be used by therapists to treat accident survivors suffering from PTSD.

"To be successful, you need a virtual reality system that taps into the fear structure of the patient. We've developed a very flexible software system that puts the patient in scenarios reminiscent of, or directly related to, their accident," PTSD researcher J. Gayle Beck, a professor of psychology, says in a prepared statement.

"We want to trigger their anxiety in a safe environment so we can help them overcome it," Beck says.

Patients using the UB simulator operate a steering wheel, along with gas and brake pedals while viewing a 3-D world. The simulator is mounted on a motion platform that's able to simulate the sensation of turning, braking and driving a car uphill or downhill.

As the patient "drives" the simulator, the therapist sits in the passenger seat and asks about the patient's anxiety levels. If the patient encounters difficult situations or traffic patterns, the therapist offers encouragement and suggests relaxation techniques.

The therapist can manipulate the virtual driving conditions, including the amount of traffic, weather conditions, and whether it's night or day.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about post-traumatic stress disorder.

--Robert Preidt

SOURCE: University at Buffalo, news release, November 2003