Paslakis G, et al. – This research entailed the exploration of virtual reality jogging implemented to deal with the acute urge to be physically active in patients with eating disorders. The findings disclosed that the VR paradigm could serve as a therapeutic tool for exposure and habituation of the urge, of acutely engaging in physical activity in patients with eating disorders.

Methods

• The recruitment comprised of n = 20 female patients with anorexia nervosa and n = 10 female patients with bulimia nervosa.
• A virtual reality (VR) jogging paradigm was applied to the enrollees, as a novel highly immersive 3-D exposure paradigm.
• Patients were instructed to rate their acute urge to be physically active during the exposure procedure.
• A 10-item self-report questionnaire (smQ) was formulated, which captured the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of the acute urge to move.
• The hypothesis put forth was that exposure would cause habituation of the urge to be physically active.
• In addition, it was proposed that leptin levels would be linked with the degree of the subjective urge to be physically active.
• Habituation, on the other hand, would be associated with a decrease in stress hormones (α-amylase, cortisol, and cortisone in saliva).

Results

• A statistically marked variation was noted in subjective scores in the smQ from baseline to postexposure.