CoN+Obesity+Diabetes

=Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes NIH (R21)=

Link to Grant RFP

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage submission of exploratory/developmental research applications that capitalize on the unique capabilities of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to visualize outcomes, teach, motivate, and to extend the health care and learning environments, in order to foster desirable eating, physical activity, self-care, and other health-related behaviors necessary for prevention and management of obesity and diabetes.

Of highest interest are well-designed multidisciplinary projects drawing on expertise in VR technologies and biomedical behavioral, and pedagogical sciences. The overall goal is to develop the potential of VR technologies as research tools for behavioral science-oriented studies in diabetes and obesity, and as practical tools for clinical and public health-level prevention and management of obesity and diabetes.

Jasmin Burno Donna Martsolf Bonnie Brehm Seong-Yi Baik Rebeca Lee Chris Collins Jane Combs
 * Participants:**


 * VR Technology Type in medical studies**


 * ** Title ** || ** VR Type ** || Link ||
 * Gait Analysis Management and Diagnosis in a Prototype Virtual Reality Environment || 3D 360 Surround Screen + 3D Surround Audio + Spatial Gesture Detection ||
 * Theory-Guided Virtual Reality Psychotherapies: Going beyond CBT-Based Approaches || Desktop Computer Virtual World Application ||  ||
 * || Development of the Home Arm Movement Stroke Training Environment for Rehabilitation (HAMSTER) and Evaluation by Clinicians || || Desktop Computer + Kinect Spatial Gesture Detection ||  ||
 * A Low Cost Virtual Reality System for Rehabilitation of Upper Limb || (LCD+ Stereoscopic glassses OR HMD) + Razer Hydra ||  ||
 * Super Pop VR: An Adaptable Virtual Reality Game for Upper-Body Rehabilitation || Desktop Computer + Game World + Kinect Spatial Gesture Detection ||  ||
 * __Asynchronous Telemedicine Diagnosis of Musculoskeletal Injuries through a Prototype Interface in Virtual Reality Environment__ || HD 3D Projector + Surround Screen + Surround Audio + Kinects ||  ||
 * The Design Considerations of a Virtual Reality Application for Heart Anatomy and Pathology Education || HD 3D Projector + Surround Screen + Unity3D + Surround Audio + Spatial Gesture Detection ||  ||
 * Human-Computer Confluence for Rehabilitation Purposes after Stroke || Desktop Computer + Haptic Sensors ||  ||
 * Projected AR-Based Interactive CPR Simulator || AR Sensor System + Motion Cameras ||  ||
 * Affecting Our Perception of Satiety by Changing the Size of Virtual Dishes Displayed with a Tabletop Display || HMD OR HD 3D Projector + Surround Screen + Surround Audio + Spatial Gesture Detection ||  ||
 * Using virtual reality to study food cravings || HMD + Razer Hydra + Game World || [] ||
 * Effects of providing personalized feedback of child’s obesity risk on mothers’ food choices using a virtual reality buffet || HMD + Spatial Gesture Detection + Razer Hydra || [] ||
 * The use of virtual reality in the study, assessment, and treatment of body image in eating disorders and nonclinical samples: A review of the literature" ||  || [] ||

Examples of Similar or Related Projects
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 * National Heart Lung and Blood Institute**

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 * Kinect Fitness - XBox One**

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 * University of Illinois Chicago**

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 * Health Gamers**

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 * Makomba Virtual World for Diabetic Children**

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 * Docs Get Virtual Diabetes Training**

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 * Paper - Impact of VR on Diabetes Education (Negative Outcome for VR)**

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 * diaPETic iPad App**

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 * Paper - New Directions in the Use of Virtual Reality for Food Shopping: Marketing and Education Perspectives **

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 * WID team probes home health environments with virtual reality**

Sunwoo Lee and Sungrae Shin Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. June 2013, Vol. 15, No. 6: 489-496
 * Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Using Video Gaming Technology in Elderly Adults with Diabetes Mellitus**

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 * USC Institute for Creative Technologies - VR and Health Research**

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 * Calculating Diabetes Risk**

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 * Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior - Improving Weight Maintenance using VR (SL)**

Abstract

Objective

Compare weight loss and maintenance between a face-to-face (FTF) weight management clinic and a clinic delivered via virtual reality (VR). Methods

Participants were randomized to 3 months of weight loss with a weekly clinic delivered via FTF or VR and then 6 months' weight maintenance delivered with VR. Data were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months for weight and process variables. Twenty overweight and obese individuals (31.1 ± 3.6 years of age; body mass index, 32.8 ± 5.1; 85% females; 20% minorities) responded to advertisement and met inclusion criteria. Diets (1,200–1,800 kcal/d) used prepackaged meals, fruits and vegetables, and physical activity (300 min/wk). Results

Weight loss was significantly greater for FTF at 10.8% compared with 7.6% for VR (P < .05). However, weight maintenance was significantly greater for VR at 14.0% compared with 9.5% for FTF (P < .05). Conclusions and Implications

Virtual reality compares favorably with FTF for weight loss and may facilitate greater weight maintenance.

Effects of Cognitive Load on Learning in Virtual Environments
Link to PDFs

DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.09.006
 * van der Land, Sarah ** (05/01/2013). "Lost in space? Cognitive fit and cognitive load in 3D virtual environments ". Computers in human behavior (0747-5632), 29 (3), p. 1054.


 * ABSTRACT:** In this paper, we explore how visual representations of information in 3D virtual environments (3DVEs) supports both individual and shared understanding, and consequently contribute to group decision making in tasks with a strong visual component. We integrate insights from cognitive fit theory and cognitive load theory in order to formulate hypotheses about how 3DVEs can contribute to individual understanding, shared understanding, and group decision making. We discuss the results of an experiment in which 192 participants, in 3-person teams, were asked to select an apartment. As proposed by cognitive fit theory, our results indicate that 3DVEs are indeed more effective in supporting individual understanding than 2D information presentations. Next, in line with cognitive load theory, the static presentation of 3D information turns out to be more effective in supporting shared understanding and group decision making than an immersive 3DVE. Our results suggest that although the 3DVE capabilities of realism, immersion and interactivity contribute to individual understanding, these capabilities combined with the interaction and negotiation processes required for reaching a shared understanding (and group decision), increases cognitive load and makes group processes inefficient. The implications of this paper for research and practice are discussed.


 * Nelson, Brian** CView Profile; Erlandson, Managing cognitive load in educational multi-user virtual environments: reflection on design practice Benjamin E. Educational Technology, Research and Development56.5/6 (Dec 2008): 619-641


 * ABSTRACT:** In this paper, we explore how the application of multimedia design principles may inform the development of educational multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs). We look at design principles that have been shown to help learners manage cognitive load within multimedia environments and conduct a conjectural analysis of the extent to which such principles can help manage cognitive load in the highly immersive “beyond multimedia” environments that 3-D educational MUVEs represent. We frame our discussion as a design practice analysis of the River City MUVE, a science inquiry environment that has middle school students collaborating to develop and test hypotheses regarding illnesses sweeping a virtual town. We analyze the current River City interface design using a framework describing cognitive overload scenarios and associated approaches to manage cognitive load. We also discuss the potential difficulties that may be seen as multimedia principles are applied to 3-D MUVEs. Our discussion describes a blueprint for research implementations that we are undertaking to systematically investigate the effect of an educational MUVE interface design based on multimedia principles—implementations that we hope will provide an action framework for other MUVE researchers to use in their own studies.


 * Chen, Chwen Jen (2008**). "Guiding Exploration Through Three-Dimensional Virtual Environments: A Cognitive Load Reduction Approach". Journal of interactive learning research (1093-023X), 19 (4), p. 579.

ABSTRACT: The real-time interactive nature of three-dimensional virtual environments (VEs) makes this technology very appropriate for exploratory learning purposes. However, many studies have shown that the exploration process may cause cognitive overload that affects the learning of domain knowledge. This article reports a quasi-experimental study that investigates the effects of guiding the exploration through three-dimensional VEs on learning. The results of this study show that the inclusion of additional navigational aids (tracer and directional arrows) to guide the exploration through VEs provides significant learning effects when compared with the use of VEs that do not provide such aids. These results are discussed with respect to theories related to cognitive load. (Contains 1 table and 6 figures.)

Exploring Cognitive Load in Immersive Educational Games: The SAVE Science Project
 * Brian C. Nelson** (Arizona State University, USA), Diane Jass Ketelhut (Temple University, USA) and Catherine Schifter (Temple University, USA)

ABSTRACT: SAVE Science is a research project focused on creating an innovative model for assessment of learning in STEM. In SAVE Science, we are implementing game-like modules for evaluating science content and inquiry in grades 7-8, using an assessment rubric of student interactions in a virtual environment designed to capture evolving patterns of scientific understanding among students. We are also investigating two “conditions for success” for virtual environment-based assessment: managing the effects of cognitive load students experience in complex virtual environments, and helping teachers integrate technology into their pedagogy. In this paper, we provide an overview of our design approaches aimed at helping students manage the high levels of cognitive load they report experiencing in virtual environments. By reducing the perceived complexity of virtual environment-based assessments, we hypothesize that learners will be better able to attend to the processes associated with the assessments, leading to more accurate evidentiary data.

Novices: The Impact of Support Provision Types on Virtual Presence, Cognitive Load, and Learning Outcomes June – 2012 The International Rev iew of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 1 3, No 3 (201 2)
 * Claudia Schrader** and Theo Bastiaens Learning in Educational Computer Games for

ABSTRACT: Embedding support devices in educational computer games has been asserted to positively affect learning outcomes. However, there is only limited direct empirical evidence on which design variations of support provision influence learning. In order to better understand the impact of support design on novices’ learning, the current study investigates how support devices and their type of provision (intrinsic vs. extrinsic) determine games’ effectiveness on learning outcomes. This effectiveness is also related to how the design-type of provision influences learners’ virtual presence and cognitive load. Compared to an educational adventure game without additional support, the results indicate that the game equipped with support devices enhances learning outcomes, although no differences in cognitive load were found. A variation in the design of provision shows no effect. In order to gain a more thorough understanding of support devices and their design for games, additional learner characteristics (e.g., interest) should be considered in future research.