Anorexia Nervosa, Body Image Perception and Virtual Reality Therapeutic Applications: State of the Art and Operational Proposal

Massimo Magrini, Olivia Curzio, Marco Tampucci, Gabriele Donzelli, Liliana Cori, Maria Cristina Imiotti, Sandra Maestro and Davide Moroni
Additional contact information
Massimo Magrini: Institute of Information Science and Technologies “Alessandro Faedo”, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Olivia Curzio: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Marco Tampucci: Institute of Information Science and Technologies “Alessandro Faedo”, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Gabriele Donzelli: Department of Health Science, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Liliana Cori: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Maria Cristina Imiotti: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Sandra Maestro: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Calambrone, Italy
Davide Moroni: Institute of Information Science and Technologies “Alessandro Faedo”, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-30

Abstract: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) patients exhibit distorted body representation. The purpose of this study was to explore studies that analyze virtual reality (VR) applications, related to body image issues, to propose a new tool in this field. We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were explored; the review included 25 studies. Research has increased over the last five years. The selected studies, clinical observational studies ( n = 16), mostly concerning patients’ population with AN ( n = 14) or eating disorders (EDs) diagnosis, presented multiple designs, populations involved, and procedures. Some of these studies included healthy control groups ( n = 7). Studies on community sample populations were also selected if oriented toward clinical applications ( n = 9). The VR technologies in the examined period (about 20 years) have evolved significantly, going from very complex and bulky systems, requiring very powerful computers, to agile systems. The advent of low-cost VR devices has given a big boost to research works. Moreover, the operational proposal that emerges from this work supports the use of biofeedback techniques aimed at evaluating the results of therapeutic interventions in the treatment of adolescent patients diagnosed with AN.

Keywords: anorexia nervosa; body image; virtual reality; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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