Virtual reality based experiential cognitive treatment of anorexia nervosa
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Updated: Oct 8, 2026

The use of Biofeedback in Clinical Virtual Reality: The INTREPID Project
Published on: November 12, 2009
G Riva1, M Bacchetta, M Baruffi
1Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab., Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, Italy. auxo.psylab@auxologico.it
Abstract:
The treatment of a 22-year old female university student diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa is described. In the study the Experiential Cognitive Therapy (ECT) was used: a relatively short-term, integrated, patient oriented approach that focuses on individual discovery. Main characteristic of this approach is the use of Virtual Reality, a new technology that allows the user to be immersed in a computer-generated virtual world. At the end of the in-patient treatment, the subject increased her bodily awareness joined to a reduction in her level of body dissatisfaction. Moreover, the patient presented a high degree of motivation to change. The results are discussed with regard to Vitousek, Watson and Wilson (1998, Clinical Psychology Review, 18(4), 391-420) proposal of using the Socratic Method to face denial and resistance of anorectic patients.
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