“Virtual Iraq” PTSD Therapy System (2004-2007)

In 2004, Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo and I began a collaboration in which we developed and deployed a virtual reality system to treat Iraq war veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.  The concept of virtual reality PTSD treatment was validated in the Virtual Vietnam system which I helped develop and deploy several years earlier.

With no funding initially available,  I directed members of my team at the Institute for Creative Technologies to create a demo prototype by adapting software we developed for the FlatWorld project.  Using the demo prototype, we were able to successfully acquire funding to begin a dedicated development effort.  Over the next few years, multiple iterations of the system were developed and  deployed at clinical facilities around the country.  Features were frequently added based on feedback from both veterans and clinical staff.

Our system was proven as an effective treatment for PTSD.   It has become an enormously successful project, garnered extensive press attention, and it continues to positively impact lives today.  The system has since been expanded to include scenarios in Afghanistan in order to also treat veterans of that conflict.

We initially documented our work in this conference paper presented at IEEE Virtual Reality 2006.

Jarrell Pair, Brian Allen, Matthieu Dautricourt, Anton Treskunov, Matt Liewer, Ken Graap, Greg Reger, “A Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Application for Iraq War Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Virtual Reality Conference, IEEE, pp. 67-72, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference (VR 2006), 2006


Click Images for Full Size View

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System Humvee Driver View With Destroyed Vehicles Ahead

Humvee Driver View With Destroyed Vehicles Ahead

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System Humvee With Fires in Distance

Humvee Driver View With Fires in the Distance

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System Humvee Gunner View

Humvee Gunner View

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System Market Scene

Market Scene

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System Market Scene

Enemy Combatant

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System RPG Firing

Enemy Firing Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)

Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy System Soldier Testing

Army Psychologist Greg Reger Using System With Soldier in Iraq


CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Discusses Virtual Iraq on Anderson Cooper 360


Footage of Humvee Scenario


Virtual Iraq PTSD Therapy Session


Virtual Iraq Article in New Yorker Magazine

“Virtual Iraq, Using simulation to treat a new generation of traumatized veterans.”
by Sue Halpern, New Yorker Magazine, May 19, 2008