BASIC awarded £10,000 grant by ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for VR PTSD rehab

The Soldiers’ Charity have awarded the Brain and Spinal Injury Centre (BASIC) a grant of £10,000 to boost a new virtual reality technological rehabilitation trial for enduring post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This marks their second year of supporting BASIC and its work with the veteran community.

Based in Salford, Greater Manchester, the Brain And Spinal Injury Centre exists to maximise independence for those living with a brain or spinal injury. For 32 years, the centre has been providing services aimed at transforming the quality of life for people recovering from head, brain and spinal injuries, and those with long-term neurological conditions.

The virtual reality treatment uses Motek‘s Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) to rehabilitate military personnel using Eye Movement and Desensitising Reprocessing (EMDR), which is a form of psychotherapy which helps with recalling distressing images to reduce the symptoms of PTSD. The CAREN’s high tech virtual reality screen and treadmill can immerse patients in a variety of situations, providing a new approach to overcoming the challenges of PTSD.

Wendy Edge, CEO of BASIC, said: “We are delighted that ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has supported us a second time. This grant means that we can now pilot an innovative and novel treatment for long-standing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder using trauma therapy combined with virtual reality. This is being trialled by the Canadian military, the Dutch military and by the Welsh Veterans Service. Thank you to The Soldiers’ Charity for giving us a chance to pilot this treatment here in Salford and address some of the devastating symptoms of PTSD that many veterans endure following active service.”

Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, added: “It is a pleasure that we are able to help BASIC use the latest technology and new, modern methods of treatment in order to assist veterans with their recovery. We look forward to seeing how this pilot project will help the Army family in the future.”

Read more on the Soldiers Charity website.