USC Institute for Creative Technologies

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Assessment and Treatment (PTSD)

Classified as an anxiety disorder, characterized by aversive anxiety-related experiences, behaviors, and physiological responses that develop after exposure to a psychologically traumatic event (sometimes months after).

Numerous reports and study's reports soldiers and veterans suffer some form of PTS.

ICT's Assessment and Treatment Approach:

• Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan used in 50 sites in US, including VA hospitals, military bases and university centers produce reduction in PTS symptoms.
• Exposure Therapy involves a patient-guided by a trained therapist-confronting traumatic events is now endorsed as an evidence based treatment for PTS.
• VR exposure therapy, utilizing the latest in VR technology allows pertinent to experience the trauma again in a controlled and safe environment therefore addressing the issues immediately with a trained professional.

After 10 sessions 80% of the patients showed significant improvements.

Virtual Humans

Used in simulated training where characters you interact with are 3D images that have been "taught" to learn behaviors, converse, exhibit emotion and reason with the trainee.

Widely considered the most advanced research project of its kind ICT opens the door to endless possibilities of teaching and learning.

Projects include focus areas around:

• Leadership
• Simulated Personal/Professional/Life coaching
• Virtual Patient and Medial training
• Recruitment and motivation

Project "Sergeant Star"

• Developed for goarmy.com as a recruitment tool
• Featured as the first immersive, interactive 'virtual human'

Cognitive Learning

Through compelling interactive media and unique collaborations, how students learn is rapidly changing. Using VR technology to solve problems around social skills associated with higher functioning autism.

Project- VR Augmentation of Social Skills Training for Autism.

• Social Skill training (SST) has been shown to significantly improve the adaptive behaviors associated with higher functioning autism (HFA).
• High cost and safety issues traditionally prevent SST from being more widely utilized for HFA.
• One potential means for addressing the problem is to apply VR to provide controlled, safer practice environments for HFA children.

Current state - As of August 1, 2009 funding on a formal project by ICT was started to assemble a collaborative team of technologists, faculty and students to adapt a VR paradigm for an initial study of 40 HFA and 40 comparison students.