AN-VR-BE. A Randomized Controlled Trial for Reducing Fear of Gaining Weight and Other Eating Disorder Symptoms in Anorexia Nervosa through Virtual Reality-Based Body Exposure.

In vivo body exposure therapy is considered an effective and suitable intervention to help patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) reduce their body image disturbances (BIDs). However, these interventions have notable limitations and cannot effectively reproduce certain fears usually found in AN, such as the fear of gaining weight (FGW). The latest developments in virtual reality (VR) technology and embodiment-based procedures could overcome these limitations and allow AN patients to confront their FGW and BIDs. This study aimed to provide further evidence of the efficacy of an enhanced (by means of embodiment) VR-based body exposure therapy for the treatment of AN. Thirty-five AN patients (16 in the experimental group, 19 in the control group) participated in the study. FGW, BIDs, and other body-related and ED measures were assessed before and after the intervention and three months later. The experimental group received treatment as usual (TAU) and five additional sessions of VR-based body exposure therapy, while the control group received only TAU. After the intervention, ED symptoms were clearly reduced in both groups, with most of the changes being more noticeable in the experimental group. Specifically, after the intervention and at follow-up, significant group differences were found in the FGW and BIDs, with the experimental group showing significantly lower values than the control group. The current study provides new insights and encouraging findings in the field of exposure-based therapies in AN. VR technology might improve research and clinical practice in AN by providing new tools to help patients confront their core fears (i.e., food- or weight-related cues) and improve their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to their body image.

Validity of Virtual Reality Body Exposure to Elicit Fear of Gaining Weight, Body Anxiety and Body-Related Attentional Bias in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa.

Fear of gaining weight (FGW), body image disturbances, associated anxiety and body-related attentional bias are the core symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN) and play critical roles in its development and maintenance. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the usefulness of virtual reality-based body exposure software for the assessment of important body-related cognitive and emotional responses in AN. Thirty female patients with AN, one of them subclinical, and 43 healthy college women, 25 with low body dissatisfaction (BD) and 18 with high BD, owned a virtual body that had their silhouette and body mass index. Full-body illusion (FBI) over the virtual body was induced using both visuo-motor and visuo-tactile stimulation. Once the FBI was induced, the FBI itself, FGW, body anxiety and body-related attentional bias toward weight-related and non-weight-related body areas were assessed. One-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for age, showed that AN patients reported higher FGW, body anxiety and body-related attentional bias than healthy controls. Unexpectedly, patients with AN reported significantly lower FBI levels than healthy participants. Finally, Pearson correlations showed significant relationships between visual analog scales and body-related attentional bias measures, compared to other eating disorder measures. These results provide evidence about the usefulness of virtual reality-based body exposure to elicit FGW and other body-related disturbances in AN patients. Thus, it may be a suitable intervention for reducing these emotional responses and for easing weight recovery.

Virtual Reality Body Exposure Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa. A Case Report With Follow-Up Results.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure-based therapies such as mirror exposure may help to improve the results of classic cognitive behavioral therapy in anorexia nervosa (AN). Virtual reality (VR)-based procedures provide interesting novelties for targeting body-related concerns. This study aimed to provide preliminary evidence of the usefulness of a VR body exposure therapy in a patient diagnosed with AN. METHOD: Fear of gaining weight (FGW), body anxiety, drive for thinness, body image disturbances, body mass index and body-related attentional bias were assessed before and after the intervention, as well as 5 months later. Five sessions of VR body exposure therapy were included within the standard course of cognitive behavioral therapy. The sessions involved a systematic and hierarchical exposure of the patient to a virtual representation of her own silhouette, with the body mass index of the avatar progressively increasing in subsequent sessions. RESULTS: After the intervention, there was a clear reduction in AN symptoms such as the FGW, drive for thinness, body-related anxiety and dissatisfaction. Body mass index values rose continuously during the intervention and reached healthy levels. Finally, there was a notable change in the dysfunctional body-related attentional bias. Almost all these improvements were maintained after 5 months, except for the FGW. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to focus on treating the FGW and body-related concerns in AN using a VR-based paradigm. To pursue this study further and assess the effectiveness of this new VR software, larger controlled clinical trials are needed.

Alternatives to inpatient treatment in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Effectiveness and characteristics of a new intensive model of day patient treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Inpatient Treatment (IT) is the treatment of choice for moderate or severely ill adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Nevertheless, it is expensive, and the risk for relapse or readmissions is high. A less costly alternative to IT is Day Patient Treatment (DP), which may also help to avoid relapses and readmissions because facilitates transition from hospital to community treatment. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of the 11-hour DP program for Eating Disorders (DP-ED-11h), a new intensive DP treatment for adolescents with AN, with respect to weight recovery, avoidance of hospital admission and decrease of Length of Stay (LoS). METHOD: A longitudinal, naturalistic study was carried out analysing clinical and sociodemographic variables from 77 patients with AN who were consecutively discharged from DP-ED-11h, during years 2015-2016. RESULTS: There were 77 discharges. The average age was 14.4 years old (SD: 1.62). The LoS at DP-ED-11h was 28.9 days (SD: 18.5). The mean body mass index increased significantly at discharge (17.2 vs. 17.9, p<0.001) and at 12 months follow- up (17.9 vs. 19.3, p<0.001). Twenty nine (70.8%) of the patients treated at DP-ED-11h, who came from a less intensive setting, avoided an admission. Fourteen (18.2%) required readmission at DP-ED-11h within two years. The LoS at IT was significantly reduced (from 33 to 24 days, p<0.043). CONCLUSION: DP-ED-11h has shown to be an effective resource as an alternative to IT for adolescents with moderate to severe AN. This new model has cost-effectiveness implications as it is a safe resource and is less costly than IT.

Alternativas a la hospitalización total en adolescentes con anorexia nerviosa: Eficacia y características de un nuevo modelo intensivo de tratamiento en hospital de día / Alternatives to inpatient treatment in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Effectiveness and characteristics of a new intensive model of day patient treatment

INTRODUCCIÓN: La Hospitalización Total (HT) es el tratamiento de elección para adolescentes con Anorexia Nerviosa (AN) moderada-grave. Sin embargo, ésta es costosa y el riesgo de recaída o reingresos es alto. Una alternativa menos costosa es la Hospitalización Parcial (HP), que puede ayudar a evitar recaídas y reingresos porque facilita la transición del hospital al tratamiento comunitario. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia de un tratamiento intensivo en HP para adolescentes con AN, el programa de HP para Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria (TCA) de 11 horas (HP-TCA-11h), respecto a la recuperación ponderal, evitar ingresos y disminuir estancias en HT. MÉTODO: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal y naturalístico que analizó las variables clínicas y socio-demográficas de los pacientes con AN que fueron dados de alta consecutivamente del HP-TCA-11h, durante los años 2015-2016. RESULTADOS: Se realizaron 77 altas. La edad media fue de 14.4 años (DE: 1.62). La estancia media fue de 28.9 días (DE: 18.5). La media del índice de masa corporal aumentó significativamente al alta (17.2 frente a 17.9, p < 0.001) y a los 12 meses de seguimiento (17.9 frente a 19.3, p < 0.001). Veintinueve (70.8%) pacientes tratados en HP-TCA-11h, que vinieron de un recurso menos intensivo, evitaron el ingreso en HT. Catorce (18.2%) requirieron un reingreso en HP-TCA-11h en dos años. La estancia media en HT disminuyó significativamente (de 33 a 24 días, p < 0.043). CONCLUSIÓN: HP-TCA-11h ha demostrado ser un recurso eficaz como alternativa a la HT para adolescentes con AN moderada-grave. Este nuevo modelo tiene implicaciones coste-efectivas ya que es un recurso seguro y menos costoso que la HT

INTRODUCTION: Inpatient Treatment (IT) is the treatment of choice for moderate or severely ill adolescents with An-orexia Nervosa (AN). Nevertheless, it is expensive, and the risk for relapse or readmissions is high. A less costly alterna-tive to IT is Day Patient Treatment (DP), which may also help to avoid relapses and readmissions because facilitates tran-sition from hospital to community treatment. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of the 11-hour DP pro-gram for Eating Disorders (DP-ED-11h), a new intensive DP treatment for adolescents with AN, with respect to weight recovery, avoidance of hospital admission and decrease of Length of Stay (LoS). METHOD: A longitudinal, naturalistic study was carried out analysing clinical and sociodemographic variables from 77 patients with AN who were consecutively discharged from DP-ED-11h, during years 2015-2016. RESULTS: There were 77 discharges. The average age was 14.4 years old (SD: 1.62). The LoS at DP-ED-11h was 28.9 days (SD: 18.5). The mean body mass index increased significantly at discharge (17.2 vs.17.9, p < 0.001) and at 12 months fol-low-up (17.9 vs.19.3, p < 0.001). Twenty nine (70.8%) of the patients treated at DP-ED-11h, who came from a less inten-sive setting, avoided an admission. Fourteen (18.2%) required readmission at DP-ED-11h within two years. The LoS at IT was significantly reduced (from 33 to 24 days, p < 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: DP-ED-11h has shown to be an effective resource as an alternative to IT for adolescents with moder-ate to severe AN. This new model has cost-effectiveness im-plications as it is a safe resource and is less costly than IT