scholarly journals Testing augmented reality for Eliciting cue-Provoked Urges to smoke: toward moving cue-exposure into the real world

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen O Brandon ◽  
Christine Vinci ◽  
Marloes Kleinjan ◽  
Laura M Hernandez ◽  
Leslie E Sawyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Cue Reactivity ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Presentation Modality ◽  
Cue Exposure ◽  
Smoking Cues ◽  
Urge To Smoke ◽  
Potential Use

Abstract Background Cue exposure for extinguishing conditioned urges to smoking cues has been promising in the laboratory, but difficult to implement in natural environments. The recent availability of augmented reality (AR) via smartphone provides an opportunity to overcome this limitation. Testing the ability of AR to elicit cue-provoked urges to smoke (i.e., cue reactivity [CR]) is the first step to systemically testing the efficacy of AR for cue exposure therapy. Objectives To test CR to smoking-related AR cues compared to neutral AR cues, and compared to in vivo cues. Methods A 2 x 2 within-subject design comparing cue content (smoking vs. neutral) and presentation modality (AR vs. in vivo) on urge response. Seventeen smokers viewed six smoking-related and six neutral cues via AR smartphone app and also six smoking and six neutral in vivo cues. Participants rated their urge to smoke and reality/co-existence of the cue. Results Average urge to smoke was higher following smoking-related AR images (Median=7.50) than neutral images (Median=3.33) (Z=−3.44; P=.001; d=1.37). Similarly, average urge ratings for in vivo smoking-related cues (Median=8.12) were higher than for neutral cues (Median=2.12) (Z=-3.44; P=.001; d=1.64). Also, greater CR was observed for in vivo cues than to AR cues (Z=-2.67, P=.008; d=.36). AR cues were generally perceived as being realistic and well-integrated. Conclusions CR was demonstrated with very large effect sizes in response to AR smoking cues, although slightly smaller than with in vivo smoking cues. This satisfies the first criterion for the potential use of AR for exposure therapy.

scholarly journals Augmented Reality for Smoking Cessation: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Vinci ◽  
Karen O Brandon ◽  
Marloes Kleinjan ◽  
Laura M Hernandez ◽  
Leslie E Sawyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Real World ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Smoking History ◽  
Cue Exposure ◽  
The Real ◽  
Augmented Reality Technology ◽  
Urge To Smoke

BACKGROUND The recent widespread availability of augmented reality via smartphone offers an opportunity to translate cue exposure therapy for smoking cessation from the laboratory to the real world. Despite significant reductions in the smoking rates in the last decade, approximately 13.7% of the adults in the United States continue to smoke. Smoking-related cue exposure has demonstrated promise as an adjuvant therapy in the laboratory, but practical limitations have prevented its success in the real world. Augmented reality technology presents an innovative approach to overcome these limitations. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a smartphone app that presents smoking-related augmented reality images for cue exposure. Smokers provided feedback on the images and reported on the perceived urge to smoke, qualities of reality/coexistence, and general feedback about quality and functioning. The feedback was used to refine the augmented reality images within the app. METHODS In collaboration with an augmented reality design company, we developed 6 smoking-related images (cigarette, lighter, ashtray, lit cigarette in ashtray, etc) and 6 neutral images similar in size or complexity for comparison (pen, eraser, notebook, soda bottle with droplets, etc). Ten smokers completed a survey of demographic characteristics, smoking history and behavior, dependence on nicotine, motivation to quit smoking, and familiarity with augmented reality technology. Then, participants viewed each augmented reality image and provided ratings on 10-point Likert scales for urge to smoke and reality/coexistence of the image into the scene. Participants were also queried with open-ended questions regarding the features of the images. RESULTS Of the 10 participants, 5 (50%) had experienced augmented reality prior to the laboratory visit, but only 4 of those 5 participants used augmented reality at least weekly. Although the sample was small (N=10), smokers reported significantly higher urge to smoke after viewing the smoking-related augmented reality images (median 4.58, SD 3.49) versus the neutral images (median 1.42, SD 3.01) (Z=–2.14, <i>P</i>=.03; <i>d</i>=0.70). The average reality and coexistence ratings of the images did not differ between smoking-related and neutral images (all <i>P</i>&gt;.29). Augmented reality images were found on average to be realistic (mean [SD] score 6.49 [3.11]) and have good environmental coexistence (mean [SD] score 6.93 [3.04]) and user coexistence (mean [SD] score 6.38 [3.27]) on the 10-point scale. Participant interviews revealed some areas of excellence (eg, details of the lit cigarette) and areas for improvement (eg, stability of images, lighting). CONCLUSIONS All images were generally perceived as being realistic and well-integrated into the environment. However, the smoking augmented reality images produced higher urge to smoke than the neutral augmented reality images. In total, our findings support the potential utility of augmented reality for cue exposure therapy. Future directions and next steps are discussed.

scholarly journals Augmented Reality for Smoking Cessation: Development and Usability Study

10.2196/21643 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e21643
Author(s):  
Christine Vinci ◽  
Karen O Brandon ◽  
Marloes Kleinjan ◽  
Laura M Hernandez ◽  
Leslie E Sawyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Real World ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Smoking History ◽  
Cue Exposure ◽  
The Real ◽  
Augmented Reality Technology ◽  
Urge To Smoke

Background The recent widespread availability of augmented reality via smartphone offers an opportunity to translate cue exposure therapy for smoking cessation from the laboratory to the real world. Despite significant reductions in the smoking rates in the last decade, approximately 13.7% of the adults in the United States continue to smoke. Smoking-related cue exposure has demonstrated promise as an adjuvant therapy in the laboratory, but practical limitations have prevented its success in the real world. Augmented reality technology presents an innovative approach to overcome these limitations. Objective The aim of this study was to develop a smartphone app that presents smoking-related augmented reality images for cue exposure. Smokers provided feedback on the images and reported on the perceived urge to smoke, qualities of reality/coexistence, and general feedback about quality and functioning. The feedback was used to refine the augmented reality images within the app. Methods In collaboration with an augmented reality design company, we developed 6 smoking-related images (cigarette, lighter, ashtray, lit cigarette in ashtray, etc) and 6 neutral images similar in size or complexity for comparison (pen, eraser, notebook, soda bottle with droplets, etc). Ten smokers completed a survey of demographic characteristics, smoking history and behavior, dependence on nicotine, motivation to quit smoking, and familiarity with augmented reality technology. Then, participants viewed each augmented reality image and provided ratings on 10-point Likert scales for urge to smoke and reality/coexistence of the image into the scene. Participants were also queried with open-ended questions regarding the features of the images. Results Of the 10 participants, 5 (50%) had experienced augmented reality prior to the laboratory visit, but only 4 of those 5 participants used augmented reality at least weekly. Although the sample was small (N=10), smokers reported significantly higher urge to smoke after viewing the smoking-related augmented reality images (median 4.58, SD 3.49) versus the neutral images (median 1.42, SD 3.01) (Z=–2.14, P=.03; d=0.70). The average reality and coexistence ratings of the images did not differ between smoking-related and neutral images (all P>.29). Augmented reality images were found on average to be realistic (mean [SD] score 6.49 [3.11]) and have good environmental coexistence (mean [SD] score 6.93 [3.04]) and user coexistence (mean [SD] score 6.38 [3.27]) on the 10-point scale. Participant interviews revealed some areas of excellence (eg, details of the lit cigarette) and areas for improvement (eg, stability of images, lighting). Conclusions All images were generally perceived as being realistic and well-integrated into the environment. However, the smoking augmented reality images produced higher urge to smoke than the neutral augmented reality images. In total, our findings support the potential utility of augmented reality for cue exposure therapy. Future directions and next steps are discussed.

scholarly journals How Technology Influences the Therapeutic Process: Evaluation of the Patient-Therapist Relationship in Augmented Reality Exposure Therapy and In Vivo Exposure Therapy

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 505-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Wrzesien ◽  
Juana Bretón-López ◽  
Cristina Botella ◽  
Jean-Marie Burkhardt ◽  
Mariano Alcañiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Therapeutic Context

Background: New technologies have slowly become a part of psychologists’ therapeutic office. However, many therapists still have doubts about the possibility of creating a good therapeutic relationship with patients in the presence of technology. Aims: This study evaluates the development of the therapeutic alliance in individuals with small animal phobia disorder who were treated with Augmented Reality Exposure Therapy or In Vivo Exposure Therapy. Method: Twenty-two participants received an intensive session of cognitive behavioural therapy in either a technology-mediated therapeutic context or in a traditional therapeutic context. Results: The results show no significant difference for the therapeutic alliance between two conditions. Conclusions: The results seem to show that technologies such as Augmented Reality do not represent a danger to negatively influence the therapeutic alliance.

scholarly journals Towards a Taxonomy of Feedback Factors Affecting the User Experience of Augmented Reality Exposure Therapy Systems for Small-Animal Phobias

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (19) ◽  
pp. 1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Ramírez-Fernández ◽  
Alberto L. Morán ◽  
Victoria Meza-Kubo
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Animal Phobias ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure

Small-animal phobias has been treated using in vivo exposure therapies (IVET) and virtual reality exposure therapies (VRET). Recently, augmented reality for exposure therapies (ARET) has also been presented and validated as a suitable tool. In this work we identified an ensemble of feedback factors that affect the user experience of patients using ARET systems for the treatment of small-animal phobias, and propose a taxonomy to characterize this kind of applications according to the feedback factors used in the application. Further, we present a customized version of the taxonomy by considering factors/attributes specific to the visual stimuli. To the best of our knowledge, no other work has identified nor provided an explicit classification or taxonomy of factors that affect the user experience of patients using this kind of systems for the treatment of small-animal phobias. Our final aim is to two-fold: (i) provide a tool for the design, classification and evaluation of this kind of systems, and (ii) inspire others to conduct further work on this topic.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and In Vivo Exposure Therapy: A Preliminary Comparison of Treatment Efficacy in Small Animal Phobia

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Suso-Ribera ◽  
Javier Fernández-Álvarez ◽  
Azucena García-Palacios ◽  
Hunter G. Hoffman ◽  
Juani Bretón-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Preliminary Comparison

scholarly journals Evaluation of Seven Essential Oils as Seed Treatments against Seedborne Fungal Pathogens of Cucurbita maxima

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2354
Author(s):  
Marwa Moumni ◽  
Mohamed Bechir Allagui ◽  
Kaies Mezrioui ◽  
Hajer Ben Amara ◽  
Gianfranco Romanazzi
Keyword(s):  
Essential Oil ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Cucurbita Maxima ◽  
Melaleuca Alternifolia ◽  
Seedborne Pathogens ◽  
Origanum Majorana ◽  
Potential Use

Essential oils are gaining interest as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic fungicides for management of seedborne pathogens. Here, seven essential oils were initially tested in vivo for disinfection of squash seeds (Cucurbita maxima) naturally contaminated by Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium fujikuro, Fusarium solani, Paramyrothecium roridum, Albifimbria verrucaria, Curvularia spicifera, and Rhizopus stolonifer. The seeds were treated with essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus, Lavandula dentata, Lavandula hybrida, Melaleuca alternifolia, Laurus nobilis, and Origanum majorana (#1 and #2). Incidence of S. cucurbitacearum was reduced, representing a range between 67.0% in L. nobilis to 84.4% in O. majorana #2. Treatments at 0.5 mg/mL essential oils did not affect seed germination, although radicles were shorter than controls, except with C. citratus and O. majorana #1 essential oils. Four days after seeding, seedling emergence was 20%, 30%, and 10% for control seeds and seeds treated with C. citratus essential oil (0.5 mg/mL) and fungicides (25 g/L difenoconazole plus 25 g/L fludioxonil). S. cucurbitacearum incidence was reduced by ~40% for plantlets from seeds treated with C. citratus essential oil. These data show the effectiveness of this essential oil to control the transmission of S. cucurbitacearum from seeds to plantlets, and thus define their potential use for seed decontamination in integrated pest management and organic agriculture.

scholarly journals Nature Exposure and Its Effects on Immune System Functioning: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1416
Author(s):  
Liisa Andersen ◽  
Sus Sola Corazon ◽  
Ulrika Karlsson Stigsdotter
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Natural Killer Cell Activity ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Killer Cell ◽  
Cell Activity ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Positive Effects

Given the drastic changes in our lifestyles and ecosystems worldwide, the potential health effects of natural environments have grown into a highly pervasive topic. Recent scientific findings suggest beneficial effects from nature exposure on human immune responses. This review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of literature published on immunomodulatory effects of nature exposure by inhalation of natural substances. A systematic database search was performed in SCOPUS and PubMed. The quality and potential bias of included studies (n = 33) were assessed by applying the EPHPP (Effective Public Health Practice Project) tool for human studies and the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) and SYRCLE (Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation) tools for animal studies. The synthesis of reviewed studies points to positive effects of nature exposure on immunological health parameters; such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-asthmatic effects or increased NK (natural killer) cell activity. Decreased expression of pro-inflammatory molecules, infiltration of leukocytes and release of cytotoxic mediators are outcomes that may serve as a baseline for further studies. However, partially weak study designs evoked uncertainties about outcome reproducibility and key questions remain open concerning effect sizes, duration of exposure and contributions of specific vegetation or ecosystem types.

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