Human-Avatar Symbiosis in Cognitive Cybertherapies: Proof of Concept for Auditory Verbal Hallucinations

Schizophrenia, a health and social problem of enormous importance and cost, is a serious mental disorder that has defied researchers for many years. Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) is proving to be a powerful experimental tool to study such complex cognitive processes. But there are no VR/AR tools for the systematic treatment of schizophrenia. Avatars do not incorporate adaptation, learning and evolution able to produce natural communication and interaction with humans. To significantly advance the state of art, it is proposed to supplement VR/AR with brain-computer interfaces (BCI) based on obtaining electrical brain signals. The project “Human-avatar symbiosis in cognitive cybertherapies: Proof of concept for auditory verbal hallucinations” assesses whether, through the complementary use of VR/AR and BCI, it is possible to achieve human-machine symbiosis (between a patient who hears voices and “his/her” avatar), which would provide an unforeseen advance. It relies on automatic adaptation, learning and evolution over BDI (beliefs-desires-intentions) models, proper of the intelligent agency paradigm inspired in social behaviour. The proof of concept will show if the proposal is an alternative/complement to conventional therapies of auditory verbal hallucinations and can guide the patient from a negative socio-emotional behaviour toward successful social situations.