가상현실을 이용한 알코올 관련 자극이 음주 갈망감 유발에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

Abstract

This study examined whether stimulation using virtual reality technology, the stage ahead of training to refuse alcohol, arouses alcohol craving by implementing "a program that arouses alcohol craving through the utilization of virtual reality technology". With regard to stimulation, it included alcohol exposure, a positive situation, and a negative situation on the basis of drinking encouraging situations (social pressure) known as drinking stimulating situations for alcoholics. The purpose of the study is to provide fundamental materials for the development of new training programs to refuse alcohol and for the examination of the possibility of utilizing virtual reality technology as a new treatment and training tool for alcoholics. The analysis results(10 alcohol dependent patients) indicate that avatars encouraging drinking caused more craving than just the background, that the scenes with alcohol exposed caused more craving than the scenes with no alcohol exposed, and that there were no significant changes to craving according to a positive or negative situation. The results confirmed that training sessions using virtual reality presented a situation and environment of drinking pressure that`s similar to the actual social pressure and that the virtual reality approach had enormous potential as an effective treatment tool when combined with the existing treatment techniques.