Cue-elicited craving for food in virtual reality

Abstract

This study explores the use of virtual reality technology as an alternative to in vivo exposure in cue-exposure therapy for bingeing behavior, and assesses the ability of different virtual environments to elicit craving for food in a non-clinical sample. Previous research has indicated that craving for food can be elicited by exposure to food cues [Ferriday and Brunstrom 2011; Sobik, Hutchinson and Craighead 2005]. Given that craving for food is considered a trigger of bingeing, cue-exposure therapy with response prevention of bingeing may be effective in extinguishing the craving response in patients with eating disorders and obesity. However, the application of the in vivo cue exposure technique in the therapist's office faces logistical difficulties and is hampered by a lack of ecological validity [Koskina, Campbell and Schmidt 2013]. The use of Virtual reality (VR) technology may overcome the difficulties described. Nevertheless, before VR-based cue-exposure can be used for therapeutic purposes, the ability of VR scenarios to elicit craving responses in participants must be assessed. This is the objective of the present study.