VR-based Anti-relapse Intervention Training For Methamphetamine Addicts

Objective: The study aims to explore the risk cue-related factors of relapse behavior in methamphetamine addicts.Furthermore,we conducted an intervention training according to the characteristics of habitual drug use and compulsive drug use in the process of addiction,including memory retrieval-extinction procedure was conducted to reduce carving induced by drug related cue and automatic drug use behaviors,and inhibitory control training was used to restore damaged inhibition function to prevent the addicts from relapsing.Methods: 35 methamphetamine addicts were randomly divided into experimental group and control group.Virtual Reality(VR)technology was used to implement memory retrievalextinction procedure and inhibitory control function training in the experimental group.The physiological indices and visual analogue scale(VAS)scale scores were collected before and after two-weeks prevention training to assess the change of cue induced craving,and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11(BIS-11)and Short Version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale(S-UPPS-P)scale were used to measure the change of impulsivity.Moreover,the stop signal task(SST),delay discounting task(DDT)and subliminal initiation paradigm were used to evaluate the change of inhibitory control function by training.Results: Methamphetamine addicts successfully aroused their cravings in a virtual reality environment stimulated by relevant cues,the subjects' heart rate and galvanic skin response increased significantly compared with the baseline value,and they also showed a significant decrease in stress,fatigue,energy and self-esteem on the emotional self-assessment.Repeated MANOVA analyses,with group(intervention vs.control)and time(pre-training vs.posttraining)as variables,shows after the memory retrieval-extinction training,the skin electrical value of the training group significantly decreased under the drug related cues,and the successful inhibition rate of the stop signal(P)significantly increased.In the subliminal priming paradigm,it presents decreasing response time performance under the relevant cue conditions,while there was no significant difference in the physiological indexes and behavioral indicators in the control group both at baseline and post-intervention.In addition,the result was found that the scores of training group in the two dimensions of lack of predictability and the possibility of relapse had significant decrease,indicating that the training group also improved the motivation for abstention after training.