Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41154294›Full record

ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2025

A Predictive and Adaptive Virtual Exposure Framework for Spider Fear: A Multimodal VR-Based Behavioral Intervention.

Heba G Mohamed, Muhammad Nasir Khan, Muhammad Tahir, Najma Ismat, Asma Zaffar, Fawad Naseer, Shaukat Ali

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Heba G MohamedDepartment of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-0443-1049
Muhammad Nasir KhanDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Government College University Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0003-1416-4199
Muhammad TahirComputer Software Engineering Department, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi 75300, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0003-3153-362X
Najma IsmatDepartment of Computer Engineering, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi 75300, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-0712-6904
Asma ZaffarDepartment of Mathematics and Sciences, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi 75300, Pakistan.
Fawad NaseerDepartment of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Beaconhouse International College, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-5874-3630
Shaukat AliOffice of the Registrar, Government College University Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.

Funding

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University PNURSP2025R140
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExposure therapy is an established intervention for treating specific phobias. This study evaluates a Virtual Exposure Therapist (VET), a virtual reality (VR)-based system enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI), designed to reduce spider fear symptoms.

methodsThe VET system delivers three progressive exposure scenarios involving interactive 3D spider models and features an adaptive relaxation mode triggered when physiological stress exceeds preset thresholds. AI integration is rule-based, enabling real-time adjustments based on session duration, head movement (degrees/s), and average heart rate (bpm). Fifty-five participants (aged 18-35) with self-reported moderate to high fear of spiders completed seven sessions using the VET system. Participants were not clinically diagnosed, which limits the generalizability of findings to clinical populations. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured. Behavioral responses were analyzed using AR(p)-GARCH (1,1) models to account for intra-session volatility in anxiety-related indicators. The presence of ARCH effects was confirmed through the Lagrange Multiplier test, validating the model choice.

resultsResults demonstrated a 21.4% reduction in completion time and a 16.7% decrease in average heart rate across sessions. Head movement variability declined, indicating increased user composure. These changes suggest a trend toward reduced phobic response over repeated exposures.

conclusionsWhile findings support the potential of AI-assisted VR exposure therapy, they remain preliminary due to the non-clinical sample and absence of a control group. Findings indicate expected symptom improvement across sessions; additionally, within-session volatility metrics (persistence/half-life) provided incremental predictive information about later change beyond session means, with results replicated using simple volatility proxies. These process measures are offered as complements to standard analyses, not replacements.

Indexed as

adaptive behavioral interventionaffective computingarachnophobiaAR-GARCH modelingfear of spiders questionnaire (FSQ)physiological signal monitoringreal-time scenario adaptationvirtual reality exposure therapy (VRET)

Identifiers

PMID41154294
PMCPMC12564376

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.