A virtual reality game for OCD

Rationale:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessions (e.g. contamination fear) and repetitive compulsions (e.g. excessive washing). To date, the severity of OCD symptoms is assessed with retrospective and largely subjective clinician-rated questionnaires. Interestingly, virtual reality (VR) can be used to actively provoke and assess OCD specific symptoms in a controlled and standardized environment. We will investigate a VR-game designed to provoke OCD symptoms and assesses OCD symptom severity in different OCD-specific situations. If OCD symptom severity can be assessed in VR, subjective and retrospective limitations will resolve, leading to more accurate, efficient and objective OCD diagnostics.



Objectives:

The main goal of this study is to validate the VR game. First, we will investigate whether the VR-game is able to provoke OCD-specific symptoms in OCD patients. The VR-game generates subjective and objective output scores. Subjective output scores are the self-reported emotional responses, subdivided in anxiety, unrest, insecurity and control need. Objective output scores express compulsive behaviour as performed in the VR-game. To objectify the self-reported emotional responses, autonomic effects will be recorded. We hypothesize that the subjective and objective output scores as well as the autonomic effects will be significantly higher in OCD patients as compared to healthy controls.



Study design:

Two groups of participants, consisting of OCD patients and healthy controls, will participate in this study. These groups will participate in a cross sectional study and will play the VR-game while autonomic effects are recorded.

We expect the VR-game to provoke emotional responses and compulsive behavior in OCD patients. Additionally, we expect autonomic effects to correspond with emotional responses in OCD patients.

We hypothesize that the subjective and objective output scores, as well as the autonomic effects, will be significantly higher in OCD patients as compared to healthy controls.

- Participation will take up to two hours. OCD patients will be called the day after to evaluate side-effects.

Virtual reality game