iaCToR Weekly Newsletter #20

[James Cullen]

Opening Statement

Hello iACToR members,

The Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (JCR), the official journal of iACToR, is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for an upcoming special issue on “Cognitive Engineering for Technology in Mental Health Care and Rehabilitation.”

Guest Editors for the issue are:

• Willem-Paul Brinkman, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Gavin Doherty, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
• Alessandra Gorini, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Italy
• Andrea Gaggioli, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Italy
• Mark Neerincx, TNO Human Factors/Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Besides the Editorial Board of JCR, the following reviewers from the workshop program committee will also be solicited:

• Mariano Alcañiz, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain
• Cristina Botella, Universitat Jaume I, Spain
• Paul Emmelkamp, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Robert Hubal, RTI International, USA
• Charles van der Mast, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Evelyne Klinger, Arts et Métiers ParisTech - LAMPA, France
• Paul Kizakevich, RTI International, USA
• Giuseppe Riva, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
• James Spira, University of California San Diego, USA
• Daniel Thalmann, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
• Arnold Vermeeren, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Eric Vermetten, Military Mental Health Research Center, Central Military Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands / Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
• Valentijn Visch, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Brenda K. Wiederhold, Interactive Media Institute, USA

The use of technology to support diagnostics and treatments in mental health care and rehabilitation is increasing. Research efforts in the area have also begun to consider strengthening resilience against mental stress and enhancing overall mental wellness. Although considerable attention has been devoted to evaluating the efficacy of these technologies, little attention has been given to the cognitive ergonomic aspects of using these technologies, from the perspective of either the mental healthcare professional or of the patient. New innovative, efficient, and accessible technology is needed for safe care and rehabilitation. Technologies such as physiological measurement or visualization technology should be applied in a manner that would create easy to use, acceptable and accessible systems. A cognitive engineering approach with its traditional focus on users, (in this case patients and mental healthcare professionals), could help to improve the interaction between the users and the system considering technological innovations, cognitive ergonomic knowledge and situational demands. Central to this approach seems cognitive, emotional and ergonomic aspects on issues as acceptance, usage, experience and accessibility of these innovative technologies.

This special issue seeks high-quality original papers on the technology used in clinical areas such as anxiety disorder, addictions, cognitive rehabilitation, eating disorders, motor rehabilitation, obesity, pain management, personality disorder and autism. Possible topics in this area include, but are not limited to:

• Bio/feedback/physiological measurement
• Simulation/augmentation and presence
• Virtual and augmented reality
• Brain computing interfaces
• Wearable technology
• Internet based technology, tele-health and video-conferencing
• Mobile technology, including mobile diary systems
• Display technology (CAVE, HMD, Projection systems, etc)
• Therapeutic computer games
• Educational and persuasive technology, including psycho-education systems
• Technology support to enhance persons’ resilience in stressful situations

More background information on focus of the special issue can be found at website of the ECCE2010 workshop Cognitive Engineering for Technology in Mental Health Care and Rehabilitation (http://mmi.tudelft.nl/ecce2010_mentalhealth).

Important Dates:

• November 15, 2010 - submission of paper (papers accepted after this date cannot be considered for the special issue but may be considered for future issues of JCR)
• January 20, 2011 – Notification of acceptance
• Special Issue is scheduled for JCR spring 2011 issue

For questions about the special issue please contact Willem-Paul Brinkman ([e-mail]). For questions about the submission system or the journal please contact the Managing Editor, Emily Butcher ([e-mail]).
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Top CyberPsychology News

The Virtual Reality of Clutter
The Ottawa Citizen – September 29, 2010 Psychologist Kieron O'Connor has compiled a list 30 pages long of different objects he has seen hoarders accumulate. The list includes newspapers, empty cornflake packages and toilet paper rolls. "It's a very difficult problem to treat," he says. "People collect things and they can't get rid of them. They build up at home and often take over so the person has no living space." O'Connor, with two colleagues, is studying whether virtual reality could be a possible treatment for hoarding. It is believed to be the first study of its kind in Canada. It takes place at the University of Quebec Outaouais (UQO) in Gatineau. To read more, please visit http://bit.ly/cbuVWK.

Wiecha Receives Grant to Study Face-to-Face vs Virtual Health Education for African-American Women
Boston University School of Medicine - BUSM Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs John Wiecha, MD, MPH, in the Department of Family Medicine, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Challenge grant from the National Library of Medicine. The grant, valued at more than $950,000 will fund a study to provide health education to African-American women with type-2 diabetes. The health education will be conducted either face-to-face or by using the three-dimensional virtual world, “Second Life”. Participants in Second Life will create avatars, three dimensional computer representations of themselves, which they can navigate through virtual worlds. In this virtual world, patient participants will walk into buildings, sit with other patient avatars, and participate in discussions as they would in a physical world, except that they don’t leave their homes or travel. To read more, please visit http://bit.ly/c49t4Z.

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5 Ways to Get More Involved in the iACToR Members Website

1. Become a Premium Member of iACToR!
   • Get extensive discounts off registration for the World Health Care Congress in Washington D.C., World Health Care Congress in Brussels, Belgium, Med-E-Tel Conference, and the 15th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference.
   • Get discounted subscriptions to your favorite CyberPsychology publications
   • Enjoy free online access to the largest online CyberPsychology Database on the Internet (Being launched soon!)
   • Take part in the annual iACToR General Assembly
   • Receive discounted membership to affiliated associations and societies.
2. Join your local iACToR Chapter! Please visit the Chapter page to request membership to the appropriate iACToR Chapter. This is an excellent way to become acquainted and introduced to colleagues in your area!
   
   
3. Begin the discussion! Please visit the Forum, find the appropriate category, and click Add a Discussion! As this field is rapidly growing, collaboration and discussion is vital to the growth and progress. Some have begun already, and we hope to see you post as well.
   
   
4. Invite your colleagues! On the right hand side, under your name, next to the friends hyperlink is an Invite hyperlink. We encourage you to invite your colleagues to join in the discussion.
   
   
5. Update Your Profile and Comment on Others! Keep members up to date with your latest information. Post a blog, update your status, add a picture of yourself, and let the community know your area of expertise. All can be done with in your Profile page and we encourage you to do so!

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Thank you all and I look forward to shaping our community with your help and valuable input!

Create your own reality!

Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA
Secretary General
International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR)