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PTSD and Depression Symptoms Reduced With Wearable Devices, Pilot Study Finds
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were significantly reduced when clinicians virtually accompanied patients with PTSD through in vivo exposures using a novel wearable technology system called Bio Ware, according to a phase 1 pilot study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
“Communicating with patients while simultaneously seeing their biophysics is incredibly helpful,” said Bill Harley, cofounder and CEO of Bio Ware maker Zeriscope. “A lot of healing happens in the in vivo exposures, and Bio Ware enriches that experience.”
Related: MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Delivers Positive Results in MAPS PBC Study
Designed to enhance the effects of prolonged exposure therapy, Bio Ware consists of an inconspicuous camera attached to the patient’s clothing, a watch-sized tool worn around the wrist, and a Bluetooth headphone in the ear. The system provides the clinician with real-time access to the patient’s heart rate and galvanic skin response, feedback they can use to gauge whether to adjust the experience by encouraging the patient to engage more or to pull back.
The randomized controlled trial tested the technology’s acceptability and feasibility in 40 patients with PTSD undergoing prolonged exposure therapy. One group underwent clinician-guided in vivo exposures using Bio Ware, while the other group wore Bio Ware during in-vivo exposures for acceptability testing and passive data collection purposes only but did not receive virtual guidance from a clinician during in vivo exposures.
The findings demonstrated the feasibility and safety of Bio Ware, as well as enhancement of clinical outcomes with use of the technology. Specifically, among treatment completers, those who received virtual guidance during in vivo exposures had significantly lower PTSD and depression symptoms at the end of treatment compared with patients who did not receive virtual guidance.
“These findings suggest that clinician-guided in vivo exposures with Bio Ware may enhance delivery and outcomes of standard prolonged exposure treatment for PTSD,” researchers wrote.
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