CAVE (Computer-Aided Vicarious Exposure) | BAT (Computer-administered Behvioural Assessment) | Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disorders | Benzodizepines, memory & behavioural learning | e-Health

Computer Aided Vicarious Exposure (CAVE) Treatment Research

Advances in research into computer-aided vicarious exposure treatment for spider phobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder are continuing. New software has been developed to incorporate colour and 3-D images into the program and to allow the program to be downloaded from the internet. In 2001 funding has been obtained from the Rotary Health Research Fund to investigate the efficacy of the internet-based version of CAVE for OCD. This study will be conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Psychiatry in London and the University of Sydney. Publications have been submitted outlining recent clinical results for CAVE for Spider Phobia.

CAVE (frames from Old Version, 1992, usual window size nine-inch diagonal)

Spider scenarios

 

CAVE (frames from New Version, 2001, window size up to full screen)

OCD washing ritual scenarios

 

 

Related Publications

 

Kirkby KC, Menzies RG, Daniels BA, Smith KL. 'Aetiology of spider phobia: classificatory differences between two origins instruments'. Behavior Research and Therapy (1995) 33:955-958

 

Kirkby KC. 'Computer-assisted treatment of phobias'. Psychiatric Services (1996) 47: 139-142

 

Kirkby KC, Lambert TJ. 'Computer aids to treatment in psychiatry'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (1996) 30:142-145

 

Smith KS, Kirkby KC, Montgomery IM, Daniels BA. 'Computer-delivered modeling of exposure for spider phobia: relevant versus irrelevant exposure'. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. (1997) 11:489-497

 

Clark A, Kirkby KC, Daniels BA, Marks IM. 'A pilot study of computer-aided vicarious exposure for obsessive-compulsive disorder'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (1998) 32:268-275

 

Harcourt L, Kirkby KC, Daniels BA, Montgomery IM. 'The differential effect of personality on computer-based treatment of agoraphobia'. Comprehensive Psychiatry (1998) 39:303-307

 

Menzies RG, Kirkby KC, Harris LM. 'The convergent validity of the Phobia Origins Questionnaire (POQ): A review of the evidence'. Behavior Research and Therapy (1998) 36:1081-1089

 

Kirkby KC, Daniels BA, Harcourt L, Romano A. 'Behavioral analysis of computer-administered vicarious exposure in agoraphobic subjects: The effect of personality on in-session treatment process'. Comprehensive Psychiatry (1999) 40:386-390

 

Kirkby KC, Berrios GE, Daniels BA, Menzies RG, Clark A, Romano A. 'Process-outcome analysis in computer-aided treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder'. Comprehensive Psychiatry (2000) 41: 259-265.

 

Gilroy L, Kirkby KC, Daniels BA, Menzies RG, Montgomery IM. 'A controlled comparison of computer-aided vicarious exposure versus in vivo exposure in the treatment of spider phobia'. Behavior Therapy. In press.

 

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Computer-administered Behavioural Assessment (BAT)

 

A new line of research commenced in 2000 with the development of a computer-based behavioural assessment test. This involves a nine segment video version of a live behavioural assessment and was found to discriminate fearfuls from non-fearfuls on the basis of subjective ratings of anxiety. This computer BAT holds promise for online assessment and will be further developed in 2001.

 

Examples from the computer-administered BAT

 

Last frame - segment 1

Last frame - segment 9

 

 

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Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disorders

 

Over the last ten years the Discipline of Psychiatry has conducted a number of studies into the epidemiology of psychiatric disease. Past and ongoing research includes the investigation of the falling rate of schizophrenia in females, the effect of season of birth on the development of schizophrenia, risk of rehospitalization for various psychiatric disorders, prodromal stages of depression and bipolar disorder, rapid cycling in bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder and the relationship between suicide, parasuicide and mental illness in Tasmania.

 

Related Publications

 

Daniels BA, Kirkby KC, Mitchell P, Hay D, Mowry, B. 'Seasonal variation in hospital admission for bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia'. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. In press.

 

Daniels BA, Kirkby KC, Hay DA, Mowry BJ, Jones IH. 'Predictability of rehospitalization over five years for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (1998) 32:281-286

 

Kirkby KC, Hay DA, Daniels BA, Jones IH, Mowry BJ. 'Comparison between register and structured interview diagnoses of schizophrenia: a case for longitudinal diagnostic profiles'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (1998) 32:410-414

 

Jones IH, Kirkby KC, Hay DA, Daniels BA, Longmore LM. Decline in diagnoses of schizophrenia in Tasmania during the period 1965-1990. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. (1997) 95:13-18

 

Jones IH, Hay DA, Kirkby KC, Daniels BA, Mowry BJ. Season of birth and schizophrenia in Tasmania. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. (1997) 31: 57-61

 

Kirkby KC, Daniels BA, Jones IH, McInnes M. 'A survey of social outcome in schizophrenia: life skills, accommodation and illness indices in patients with schizophrenia attending State Mental Health facilities in Southern Tasmania'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. (1997) 31:405-410

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Benzodiazepines, memory and behavioural learning

 

We are interested in the memory deficits elicited by pharmacological agents, specifically benzodiazepines, and the interaction of these deficits with factors such as age and brain impairment secondary to substance abuse and disease. These studies cast light on basic brain processes. Recent research is also examining benzodiazepine induced impairments of skill acquisition, assessing effects on procedural learning and episodic memory.

 

Related Publications

Hennessy MJ, Kirkby KC and Montgomery IM, 'Comparison of the amnesic effects of midazolam and diazepam', Psychopharmacology (1991) 103: 545-550

 

Mallick JL, Kirkby KC, Martin F, Philp M, Hennessey MJ. A comparison of the amnesic effects of lorazepam in alcoholics and non-alcoholics. Psychopharmacology, 110/1-2 (1993), 181-186

 

Nichols JM, Martin F, Kirkby KC. 'A comparison of the effect of lorazepam on memory in hazardous and low social drinkers.' Psychopharmacology, 112 (1993), 475-482

 

Kirkby, K. C., Hennessy, M. J., Montgomery, I. M., & Daniels, B. A. (1995). Amnesia following gastroscopy with midazolam: a comparison in

two age groups. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 9, 32-37.

 

Kirkby, K. C., Montgomery, I. M., Badcock, R., & Daniels, B. A. (1995). A comparison of age related deficits in memory and frontal lobe function

following oral lorazepam administration. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 9, 319-325.

 

Tsakonas, J.I., Kirkby, K.C., Montgomery, I.M., & Daniels, B.A. (1996). Interference effects on verbal memory function, following oral

lorazepam. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 10(3) 225-230.

 

Kirkby KC, Montgomery IM, Badcock R, Daniels BA. 'A comparison of age related deficits in memory and frontal lobe function following oral lorazepam administration'. Journal of Psychopharmacology (1995) 9:319-325

 

Le Roi S, Kirkby KC, Montgomery IM, Daniels BA. 'Differential effects of lorazepam and diazepam on explicit and implicit memory'. Australian Journal of Psychopharmacology [1999] 9:48-54