Physiological assessment during VR PTSD treatment of a motor vehicle accident patient

Besides physical injuries, motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are responsible for serious mental disorders, up to 40% of the victims of MVAs can develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A 42-year old patient was exposed to a virtual highway with an increasing anxiety triggering events (traffic intensity; horns; proximity of the surrounding buildings; tunnels; crossovers). The results indicate that the patient had a decrease in PTSD symptoms, namely in the IES (Intrusion and Avoidance dimensions) and in the HADS (Anxiety and Depression dimensions). As far as the psychophysiological activation concerns, the distribution GSR and ECG values during the 12 sessions followed the expected pattern, being reduced during the final session with statistically significant differences between sessions for ECG (F(11) = 2.842; p <.05). However, the most relevant fact is that this decrease led to the patient being able to drive again.