@article{cinalioglu_effects_2023,

title = {Effects of virtual reality guided meditation in older adults: the protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial},

author = {K. Cinalioglu and P. Lavín and M. Bein and M. Lesage and J. Gruber and J. Se and S. Bukhari and N. Sasi and H. Noble and M. Andree-Bruneau and C. Launay and J. Sanders and S. Gauthier and P. Rosa and M. Lifshitz and B. J. Battistini and O. Beauchet and B. Khoury and S. Bouchard and P. Fallavollita and I. Vahia and S. Rej and H. Sekhon},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85167920206&doi=10.3389%2ffpsyg.2023.1083219&partnerID=40&md5=e5bae2e2f286bca584f893ad57387285},

doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1083219},

issn = {16641078 (ISSN)},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},

volume = {14},

abstract = {Background: Virtual reality (VR) based meditation has been shown to help increase relaxation and decrease anxiety and depression in younger adults. However, this has not been studied in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) in the older adult population. The aim of this RCT is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a VR-guided meditation intervention for community-dwelling older adults and its effect on stress and mental health. Methods: We will recruit 30 participants aged ≥ 60 years, whose perceived stress score (PSS) is > 14 (moderate stress), and randomize them 1:1 to the intervention or control waitlist group. The intervention will involve exposure to eight 15-min VR-guided meditation sessions distributed twice weekly for 4-weeks. Two modalities will be offered: in-home and at the hospital. Data analysis: Baseline and post-intervention assessments will evaluate perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, quality of life, and mindfulness skills. Analyses will employ mixed methods repeated ANOVA tests. Qualitative analyses through semi-structured interviews and participant observation will be used to assess participants’ experiences. Study outcomes include: (A) feasibility and acceptability compared to a waitlist control (B) stress, using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); (C) anxiety, and depression, using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); (D) insomnia, quality of life and mindfulness skills, using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Forms (FFMQ-SF), respectively. We will also measure immersive tendencies, sickness and sense of presence using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and the Presence Questionnaire (PQ). Discussion: Virtual reality-guided meditation could be an acceptable, feasible, safe, and cost-effective novel alternative health intervention for improving older adults’ mental health. Clinical trial registration: NCT05315609 at https://clinicaltrials.gov. Copyright © 2023 Cinalioglu, Lavín, Bein, Lesage, Gruber, Se, Bukhari, Sasi, Noble, Andree-Bruneau, Launay, Sanders, Gauthier, Rosa, Lifshitz, Battistini, Beauchet, Khoury, Bouchard, Fallavollita, Vahia, Rej and Sekhon.},

note = {Publisher: Frontiers Media SA},

keywords = {Anxiety, Depression, meditation, mindfulness, older adults, virtual reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{aardema_evaluation_2022,

title = {Evaluation of Inference-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial with Three Treatment Modalities},

author = {F. Aardema and S. Bouchard and D. Koszycki and M. E. Lavoie and J. -S. Audet and K. O'Connor},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85131012874&doi=10.1159%2f000524425&partnerID=40&md5=ff9a6095068e094c394e952eca4ca318},

doi = {10.1159/000524425},

issn = {00333190 (ISSN)},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-01},

journal = {Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics},

volume = {91},

number = {5},

pages = {348–359},

abstract = {Introduction: Inference-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (I-CBT) is a specialized psychological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) without deliberate and prolonged exposure and response prevention (ERP) that focuses on strengthening reality-based reasoning and correcting the dysfunctional reasoning giving rise to erroneous obsessional doubts and ideas. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of I-CBT through a comparison with appraisal-based cognitive behavioral therapy (A-CBT) and an adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention. Methods: This was a two-site, parallel-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing I-CBT with A-CBT. The MBSR intervention acted as a non-specific active control condition. Following formal evaluation, 111 participants diagnosed with OCD were randomly assigned. The principal outcome measure was the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Results: All treatments significantly reduced general OCD severity and specific symptom dimensions without a significant difference between treatments. I-CBT was associated with significant reductions in all symptom dimensions at post-test. Also, I-CBT led to significantly greater improvement in overvalued ideation, as well as significantly higher rates of remission as compared to MBSR at mid-test. Conclusions: I-CBT and MBSR appear to be effective, alternative treatment options for those with OCD that yield similar outcomes as A-CBT. I-CBT may have an edge in terms of the rapidity by which patients reach remission, its generalizability across symptom dimension, its potentially higher level of acceptability, and effectiveness for overvalued ideation. Future research is needed to assess whether additional alternative treatments options can help to increase the number of people successfully treated. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.},

note = {Publisher: S. Karger AG},

keywords = {adult, aged, appraisal based cognitive behavioral therapy, article, clinical effectiveness, clinical evaluation, clinical outcome, clinical trial, cognitive behavioral therapy, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, controlled study, disease severity, female, human, Humans, inference based cognitive behavioral therapy, Inference-based approach, intermethod comparison, major clinical study, male, mindfulness, mindfulness-based stress reduction, multicenter study, obsessive compulsive disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, patient dropout, procedures, randomized controlled trial, remission, treatment outcome, treatment refusal, Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nolet_adoption_2020,

title = {The Adoption of New Treatment Modalities by Health Professionals and the Relative Weight of Empirical Evidence in Favor of Virtual Reality Exposure Versus Mindfulness in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders},

author = {K. Nolet and G. Corno and S. Bouchard},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85083108852&doi=10.3389%2ffnhum.2020.00086&partnerID=40&md5=e72f1ece3a23c5283e1c9cc954c090bb},

doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2020.00086},

issn = {16625161},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},

volume = {14},

abstract = {Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure exercises is considered as the gold-standard psychological intervention. New psychotherapeutic modalities have emerged in the last decade and, among them, mindfulness has been rapidly adopted by therapists. The adoption rate is slower for the use of virtual reality (VR) to conduct exposure. The goal of the present position paper is to contrast, for the treatment of anxiety disorders, the weight of empirical evidences supporting the use of exposure in VR with the use of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT). Based on the most recent meta-analyses, we found that CBT with exposure conducted in VR was more thoroughly researched and supported than MBT, receiving validation from roughly twice as many studies with high control (i.e., randomized, active controls with clinical samples). However, this conclusion is nuanced by reviewing gaps in the literature for both therapies. Potential factors influencing clinicians’ choice of treatment and suggestions for future research directions are proposed. © Copyright © 2020 Nolet, Corno and Bouchard.},

note = {Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.},

keywords = {Anxiety disorder, clinical decision making, cognitive behavioral therapy, comparative effectiveness, controlled study, evidence based medicine, human, intermethod comparison, mental health care personnel, mindfulness, randomized controlled trial (topic), review, therapy effect, validation study, virtual reality exposure therapy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}