Virtual Reality Cue Refusal Video Game for Alcohol and Cigarette Recovery Support: Summative Study

A study implementing the use of virtual reality to explore addition and recovery has been published by a team of researchers connected to Clinical Tools, Inc. Clinical Tools is based in the USA with work combining medicine, science, and technology to deliver online education and improve patient care. 

The study focuses on the use of a game called Take Control, a partially immersive Kinect for Windows platform game that allows users to counter substance cues through active movements such as hitting or kicking. 

Participants were selected who were in recovery from alcohol or tobacco use. The participants were then asked questions relating to subsequent substance use, cravings, satisfaction with the game experience, self-efficacy related to recovery, and side effects from exposure to a virtual reality intervention and substance cues.

It was found that overall substance use decreased within the participants and cravings also lessened with those in recovery from alcohol seeing greater benefit than those attempting to give up tobacco.