Immersive Exposure: Generative Worlds for OCD Therapy

Overview

At the Immersive AI Systems group in the Neurotechnology Warehouse at the Champalimaud Foundation, researchers are building the bridge between advanced generative technologies and their application in neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Here, the team is exploring how Marble Worlds can be used to create immersive environments for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). By turning short text descriptions from therapy contexts into realistic virtual scenes that evoke specific anxiety triggers, the group aims to explore new ways of supporting exposure and response prevention (ERP) — a therapeutic approach in which patients face anxiety-inducing situations in a controlled setting while learning to resist compulsive behaviours.

Research Focus

In collaboration with clinicians at the Champalimaud Foundation and King’s College London, the team is now preparing a clinical trial to evaluate this approach. The study will assess how immersive, AI-generated environments can support established therapeutic methods and provide new tools for guided exposure and behavioral training.

Future Directions

Building on these efforts, the group aims to extend its methods to other clinical domains, developing research-based tools that advance a new generation of digital therapeutics.

Learn more about the Immersive AI Systems Group at the Champalimaud Foundation