Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a VR-based system that could improve the differentiation between common mental health conditions, offering an opportunity for earlier and more personalised treatment.
The research, published in the European Neuropsychopharmacology journal, sees a virtual reality system used with physiological measurements, such as skin conductivity, to identify a more objective method for pinpointing different mental health conditions in patients.
100 participants were recruited, including people with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and healthy controls, where participants were exposed to various VR scenarios designed to elicit emotional and physiological responses. During the experiences, the researchers measured emotional responses and skin conductivity, with the results indicating that the responses differed systematically between diagnostic groups.
This approach has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, however the researchers stress that larger studies are needed to confirm the findings and to explore how these methods can be used in clinical practice.
Professor Kamilla Miskowiak, lead researcher, University of Copenhagen, commented: “This is an important step forward. Until now, diagnosis has largely depended on self-reporting of symptoms, but our findings suggest that virtual reality scenarios combined with physiological measures may help differentiate between similar conditions. This is an area where psychiatry has long faced difficulties.
“This study is part of the VIRDIS project, which aims to develop objective tools to support psychiatric diagnosis. Our initial findings are promising, but further large-scale research is needed to validate this approach and develop it into a practical clinical tool. We are now launching a follow-up study with 300 participants and implementing machine learning methods to improve individual-level diagnostic predictions. Our long-term goal is to improve early and personalised treatment for patients with mental health disorders.”
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