TY - JOUR
T1 - Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of dental phobia in adults: A randomized controlled trial
AU - Gujjar, K.R.
AU - van Wijk, A.
AU - Kumar, R.
AU - de Jongh, A.
N1 - Cited By :1
Export Date: 22 October 2019
CODEN: JADIE
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - Background: Although Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) has proven to be effective in the treatment of various subtypes of specific phobia, there is limited evidence of its role in the treatment of dental phobia.
Method: A single-blind RCT was conducted among 30 randomized patients with dental phobia to either VRET or informational pamphlet (IP) condition. Primary outcome anxiety measures (VAS-A, MDAS and DFS) were evaluated at baseline, pre- and post-intervention, 1-week, 3-months and 6-months follow-up. Secondary outcome measures assessed were pre-post behavioral avoidance, temporal variations of heart rate and VR-experience during and post-VRET, and dental treatment acceptance in both conditions at 6-month follow-up.
Results: Intention to treat analysis, using a repeated measures MANOVA, revealed a multivariate interaction effect between time and condition (p = 0.015) for all primary outcome measures (all ps < 0.001). Only patients of the VRET condition showed a significant reduction in anxiety scores (mean reduction [s.d.]: VAS-A 44.4 [36.1]; MDAS 7.1 [5.4]; DFS 21.2 [13.1]) whereas the patients in the IP group did not (mean reduction [s.d.]: VAS-A −0.33 [7.7]; MDAS −0.33 [1.3]; DFS −1.9 [3.8]), F (15, 14) = 3.3, p = 0.015.
Conclusions: Dental anxietyState anxietyDental phobiaVirtual reality exposure therapy
AB - Background: Although Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) has proven to be effective in the treatment of various subtypes of specific phobia, there is limited evidence of its role in the treatment of dental phobia.
Method: A single-blind RCT was conducted among 30 randomized patients with dental phobia to either VRET or informational pamphlet (IP) condition. Primary outcome anxiety measures (VAS-A, MDAS and DFS) were evaluated at baseline, pre- and post-intervention, 1-week, 3-months and 6-months follow-up. Secondary outcome measures assessed were pre-post behavioral avoidance, temporal variations of heart rate and VR-experience during and post-VRET, and dental treatment acceptance in both conditions at 6-month follow-up.
Results: Intention to treat analysis, using a repeated measures MANOVA, revealed a multivariate interaction effect between time and condition (p = 0.015) for all primary outcome measures (all ps < 0.001). Only patients of the VRET condition showed a significant reduction in anxiety scores (mean reduction [s.d.]: VAS-A 44.4 [36.1]; MDAS 7.1 [5.4]; DFS 21.2 [13.1]) whereas the patients in the IP group did not (mean reduction [s.d.]: VAS-A −0.33 [7.7]; MDAS −0.33 [1.3]; DFS −1.9 [3.8]), F (15, 14) = 3.3, p = 0.015.
Conclusions: Dental anxietyState anxietyDental phobiaVirtual reality exposure therapy
U2 - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.12.001
DO - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.12.001
M3 - Article
SN - 0887-6185
VL - 62
SP - 100
EP - 108
JO - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
JF - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
ER -
