Avatar Therapy vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Schizophrenia

(Phase3 Trial)

This trial tests two therapies for individuals with schizophrenia who hear distressing voices unresponsive to regular medication. One treatment, Avatar Therapy, involves patients conversing with a virtual character representing their troubling voice to help them gain control. The other, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, involves discussing thoughts and behaviors in structured sessions. The trial seeks participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who hear distressing voices and haven't improved with at least two different antipsychotic medications. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to explore innovative therapies that could enhance quality of life.

The trial requires that participants have stable doses of medication for the last 2 months before joining, so you should not stop taking your current medications.

Research has shown that Avatar Therapy is generally well-tolerated by people with schizophrenia. This treatment uses virtual reality to reduce troubling auditory hallucinations without significant side effects. In earlier studies, participants reported feeling more empowered and in control of their symptoms after Avatar Therapy sessions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is also considered safe and is commonly used to treat various mental health issues, including schizophrenia. Although serious side effects are rare, the therapy requires active participation and can sometimes be challenging.

Unlike traditional therapies for schizophrenia, which often focus on managing symptoms through medication and conventional therapy, Avatar Therapy offers a unique approach by using a virtual avatar to help patients engage directly with their hallucinations. The therapy is designed to empower individuals by allowing them to converse with a digital representation of their persecutor, which gradually transforms from hostile to supportive as the patient's emotional regulation improves. This interactive and personalized method aims to enhance patients' control over their hallucinations, potentially leading to significant improvements in their overall quality of life. Researchers are excited about Avatar Therapy because it represents a novel and promising avenue for addressing the emotional and psychological aspects of schizophrenia in a way that conventional treatments do not.

This trial will compare Avatar Therapy (AT) with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for schizophrenia. Research has shown that Avatar Therapy, one of the treatments participants may receive, yields promising results for people with schizophrenia. In a previous study, AT significantly reduced the severity of auditory hallucinations, the distressing voices patients hear. This therapy uses virtual reality to help patients feel more in control of these voices. In contrast, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, another treatment option in this trial, has shown a small to medium effect on improving symptoms like hallucinations and delusions in schizophrenia. A review of several studies estimated the impact of CBT on these symptoms at 0.31, considered moderate. Overall, both treatments offer potential benefits, but initial findings suggest that AT might have a stronger impact on reducing auditory hallucinations.¹²³⁴⁵