{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T07:31:28Z","timestamp":1780471888430,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":12,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]],"date-time":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742947200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]],"date-time":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742947200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Eat Weight Disord"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:p>Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a mental health condition marked by reduced food consumption, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body experience. Virtual Reality (VR)-based techniques\u2014i.e., Body-Swapping and Mirror Exposure techniques\u2014offer promising avenues for addressing body disturbance in AN, allowing patients to embody virtual bodies varying in size and shape. We used a single-subject experimental design to explore the potential of virtual reality multisensory experiences for mitigating body disturbance in AN. We examine the case of a 24-year-old female hospitalized with restrictive Anorexia Nervosa who underwent a novel body-focused VR intervention alongside the hospital's standard care. The intervention included six bi-weekly sessions, wherein the patient was immersed in a VR environment that allowed her to embody a virtual body that matched a healthy weight range. Through interactions with a virtual mirror, the patient was encouraged to concentrate on the body's positive aspects and functional abilities, thinking about its significance in her past, current, and anticipated future activities (Functional Mirror Exposure). The patient reported reduced body dissatisfaction, negative beliefs, and body misperception. These changes endorse using immersive, multisensory, and embodied experiences to alter body consciousness and body\u2013self relationship. Results preliminary support the transformative potential of VR in improving traditional approaches to assess and alter body disturbance.<\/jats:p>\n          <jats:p>\n            <jats:italic>Level of evidence<\/jats:italic> Level IV.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s40519-025-01740-5","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,29]],"date-time":"2025-03-29T20:31:22Z","timestamp":1743280282000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Therapeutic immersion: a single-subject study on virtual reality multisensory experiences for mitigating body disturbance in anorexia nervosa"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"Giulia","family":"Brizzi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Margherita","family":"Boltri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Guglielmini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gianluca","family":"Castelnuovo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leonardo","family":"Mendolicchio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Riva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"1740_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7316063","DOI":"10.1155\/2024\/7316063","volume":"2024","author":"G Brizzi","year":"2024","unstructured":"Brizzi G, Riva G (2024) Playing with spatial frames: altering the body matrix through multisensory egocentric and allocentric body illusions. Human Behav Emerg Technol 2024(1):7316063. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1155\/2024\/7316063","journal-title":"Human Behav Emerg Technol"},{"issue":"3","key":"1740_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2011.03.006","volume":"8","author":"CA Luethcke","year":"2011","unstructured":"Luethcke CA, McDaniel L, Becker CB (2011) A comparison of mindfulness, nonjudgmental, and cognitive dissonance-based approaches to mirror exposure. Body Image 8(3):251\u2013258. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.bodyim.2011.03.006","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"issue":"2","key":"1740_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.1002\/jclp.22724","volume":"75","author":"S Serino","year":"2019","unstructured":"Serino S, Polli N, Riva G (2019) From avatars to body swapping: The use of virtual reality for assessing and treating body-size distortion in individuals with anorexia. J Clin Psychol 75(2):313\u2013322. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jclp.22724","journal-title":"J Clin Psychol"},{"issue":"4","key":"1740_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"682","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10040682","volume":"10","author":"B Porras-Garcia","year":"2021","unstructured":"Porras-Garcia B, Ferrer-Garcia M, Serrano-Troncoso E, Carulla-Roig M, Soto-Usera P, Miquel-Nabau H, Olivares LF, Diaz-Marsa M, Sanchez-Diaz I (2021) AN-VR-BE A randomized controlled trial for reducing fear of gaining weight and other eating disorder symptoms in anorexia nervosa through virtual reality-based body exposure. J Clin Med 10(4):682. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm10040682","journal-title":"J Clin Med"},{"issue":"10","key":"1740_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0163921","volume":"11","author":"A Keizer","year":"2016","unstructured":"Keizer A, van Elburg A, Helms R, Dijkerman HC (2016) A virtual reality full body illusion improves body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa. PLoS ONE 11(10):e0163921. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0163921","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"1740_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2015.07.001","volume":"15","author":"JM Alleva","year":"2015","unstructured":"Alleva JM, Martijn C, Van Breukelen GJ, Jansen A, Karos K (2015) Expand Your Horizon: a programme that improves body image and reduces self-objectification by training women to focus on body functionality. Body Image 15:81\u201389. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.bodyim.2015.07.001","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"1740_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cbpra.2022.05.001","author":"DC Walker","year":"2022","unstructured":"Walker DC, Murray K (2022) A pilot clinical case series of functionality-focused mirror exposure in women with clinically elevated body dissatisfaction. Cogn Behav Pract. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cbpra.2022.05.001","journal-title":"Cogn Behav Pract"},{"key":"1740_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2018.11.015","volume":"117","author":"AE Kazdin","year":"2019","unstructured":"Kazdin AE (2019) Single-case experimental designs. evaluating interventions in research and clinical practice. Behav Res Ther 117:3\u201317. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.brat.2018.11.015","journal-title":"Behav Res Ther"},{"key":"1740_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2023.2209195","author":"J Brooks","year":"2023","unstructured":"Brooks J, Walker DC, Murray K (2023) What can my body do for me? Guided body-functionality mirror gazing task improved college women\u2019s body appreciation and body functionality orientation. J Am College Health. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/07448481.2023.2209195","journal-title":"J Am College Health"},{"key":"1740_CR10","first-page":"177","volume":"18","author":"C Malighetti","year":"2020","unstructured":"Malighetti C, Chirico A, Serino S, Cavedoni S, Matamala-Gomez M, Stramba-Badiale C, Riva G (2020) Manipulating body size distortions and negative body-related memories in patients with Anorexia Nervosa: a virtual reality-based pilot study. Ann Rev CyberTherapy Telemed 18:177\u2013181","journal-title":"Ann Rev CyberTherapy Telemed"},{"issue":"1","key":"1740_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1186\/s40337-023-00906-9","volume":"11","author":"F Brusa","year":"2023","unstructured":"Brusa F, Scarpina F, Bastoni I, Villa V, Castelnuovo G, Apicella E, Savino S, Mendolicchio L (2023) Short-term effects of a multidisciplinary inpatient intensive rehabilitation treatment on body image in anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord 11(1):178. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s40337-023-00906-9","journal-title":"J Eat Disord"},{"issue":"3","key":"1740_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.1159\/000530932","volume":"92","author":"SC Behrens","year":"2023","unstructured":"Behrens SC, Tesch J, Sun PJ, Starke S, Black MJ, Schneider H, Pruccoli J, Zipfel S, Giel KE (2023) Virtual reality exposure to a healthy weight body is a promising adjunct treatment for Anorexia nervosa. Psychother Psychosom 92(3):170\u2013179. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1159\/000530932","journal-title":"Psychother Psychosom"}],"container-title":["Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s40519-025-01740-5.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s40519-025-01740-5\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s40519-025-01740-5.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,29]],"date-time":"2025-03-29T20:31:35Z","timestamp":1743280295000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s40519-025-01740-5"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]]},"references-count":12,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["1740"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s40519-025-01740-5","relation":{},"ISSN":["1590-1262"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1590-1262","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2 June 2024","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"9 March 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"26 March 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano approved this study. The participant provided signed informed consent and agreed to publish the study results. The study was conducted according to Declaration of Helsinki Statement.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not all participant details were included in the manuscript to prevent identification. Data included in publications and reports as described in the Information Statement, which participants provided written consented to.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"32"}}