(NU/1433-3) Immersive Virtual Reality intervention for anxiety: Commercialisation of university research through provision of management skills to assist in successful spin-out company creation

Professor Jeremy Parr and colleagues at Newcastle University and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) have developed a manualised modified Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) intervention to treat situation specific phobia in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Training materials for health professionals have been created. The intervention is delivered over four sessions in an immersive VR room where the participant works with a therapist to gradually be exposed to their feared situation. The immersive room means there is no need for a headset or goggles and the participant and therapist can interact throughout. The treatment method is manualised and a training workshop for therapists has been designed and delivered successfully to over 20 therapists.

To date the intervention has been delivered using an immersive virtual reality (VR) system developed by a local SME Third Eye Neurotech but there are many other VR providers who could also provide this function. This intervention has advantages over traditional Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for situation specific phobia in individuals with ASD due to the ability to immerse the individual in their specific situation making them feel 'present' in the scenario. Real life graded exposure can be overwhelming for people with autism; the controlled environment of VR allows more effective therapy to take place. Published, peer reviewed evidence shows that the intervention has been shown to be feasible to deliver in the NHS, and acceptable to health professionals, children and adults and their relatives (in 41 children and 8 adults with autism spectrum disorder).

The proposal is to create a New Co (as yet unnamed) to bring the intervention to market in the NHS and private medical market in the UK and elsewhere globally. A suitable executive will be engaged to carry out an options appraisal of the best business model for roll out of the modified CBT intervention and training package and the business model for provision of the necessary VR hardware for delivery. The main markets to be targeted initially are the UK, EU, US and Canada and Middle East with penetration into further markets in a progressive manner.