Pixvana and Limbix Team Up to Create Virtual Reality Therapy for Adolescent Depression

PALO ALTO, Calif., & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pixvana, a virtual reality solutions provider, today announced that it has partnered with Limbix, a company that’s improving healthcare through immersive virtual reality, to create an interactive VR therapy for adolescent depression and anxiety.

Pixvana, Limbix, Stony Brook, UT Austin, and Harvard researchers developed VR scenes that support Growth Mindset Training - an understanding that anyone can develop their abilities and intelligence. By depicting various situations that could lead to depression in adolescents, the VR experience teaches teens how their brain functions and how thoughts and feelings develop. It helps them understand they have power over these thoughts and, with a growth mindset, can change how they think and feel about their experiences.

Filmed at Youngstown Arts and Cultural Center in full 360 degrees using the Google Jump camera, the VR scenes are intended for use in high school classrooms and by the professional therapist community. Each scene attempts to depict situations in a gender and age appropriate context and connect with adolescents in a very practical way, while making them feel comfortable, safe and in control of their environment.

“The purpose of the project is not only to bring insight into depression – and let kids know they aren’t alone in their struggles - but also to teach kids how to process, confront and work through their feelings and challenges,” said Elise Ogle, Program Manager at Limbix. “Pixvana served as the perfect production partner, allowing us to focus on the lesson plan and research integration, while they ensured high-quality video and provided expert consultation.”

“The use of virtual reality as a medium can quickly put adolescents in familiar classroom settings, or immerse them in real-life scenarios, engaging them in a very meaningful, safe and lasting way,” said Rachel Lanham, Chief Operating Officer at Pixvana. “It’s an immersive and stimulating learning experience, and highly effective at communicating important messages and coping strategies. We hope this project can make a difference among teens by using technology to help break down stigmas that may exist about depression.”

To view a trailer video shot in VR180 that spotlights the interactive VR therapy project from Pixvana and Limbix, visit: https://youtu.be/RTyYNxKLXTY

About Pixvana

Pixvana, a virtual reality solutions provider, helps enterprises develop cutting-edge approaches to solve business challenges in innovative ways. Customers chose Pixvana for its powerhouse combination of breakthrough VR technology and award-winning creative team. Pixvana addresses a range of corporate VR applications - from training and tours, to marketing and healthcare - and can manages all aspects of project development, from strategy to execution. The company is venture-backed by Vulcan Capital, Madrona Venture Group, Microsoft, Cisco, Raine and Hearst Ventures. Pixvana’s founders have proven startup success in media technology, and hail from senior product and engineering leadership roles at Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, and Lucasfilm. For more information visit www.pixvana.com.

About Limbix

Our mission is to improve healthcare with virtual reality. Every day millions of people suffer from anxiety, pain, depression, trauma, and addiction-related disorders. Despite the importance of improving outcomes, the tools needed to treat patients are often inaccessible. Decades of research support Virtual Reality applications for the treatment of healthcare problems, and Limbix aims to make these VR applications widely accessible to clinics and hospitals.

For more information visit www.Limbix.com

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