Walking in their shoes: Psychiatrists experience the virtual reality of schizophrenia


 Munich - Janssen Pharmaceutica today unveiled Paved with Fear, using state of the art technology to simulate the experience of having schizophrenia. This "virtual hallucination" booth is designed to help psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals understand their patients' experiences first hand. 


 


 "For any physician, the goal is to have the most accurate representation of a patient's symptoms in order to treat them most effectively," said consultant psychiatrist Dr Marc de Hert, who worked as a medical advisor on Paved with Fear. "Therefore, we worked closely with many patients to develop a virtual hallucination which demonstrates at a practical level exactly what they endure on a daily basis." 


 


 The virtual reality experience takes the participant through everyday activities, using sound, video and movement to bring to life the impact of auditory and visual hallucinations. Each journey through the Paved with Fear experience is unique and tailored to the individual participating.


 


 Note to Editors:


 


 Janssen Pharmaceutica is headquartered in Beerse, Belgium. Risperdal™ is marketed globally by Janssen-Cilag, and in partnership with NV Organon in the European Union (except for Italy, Spain and Finland, where it is marketed by Janssen-Cilag only), Norway, Switzerland, Brazil and Argentina. Janssen Pharmaceutica has been a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies since 1961. Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest and most comprehensive manufacturer of healthcare products, serving the pharmaceutical, professional and consumer markets.


 


 Media Information: This information does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the ECNP


 

SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceutica