Network on Cybertherapy: the use of mediated, augmented andvirtual experiences in behavioural healthcare<strong>CyberNET</strong>

For a long time cognitive science considered action, perception, and interpretation as
separate activities. A recent trend in cognitive science is instead identifying embodied
experience as the basis of human cognition. Cybertherapy - the use of mediated,
augmented or virtual experiences for assessment and treatment in behavioural health
care and rehabilitation - aims to exploit these new insights to offer better health care.
Even if the mechanism of these experiences is not yet fully understood (e.g. why virtual
reality reduces the amount of pain-related brain activity measured through fMRI), a
more thorough documentation of such findings would be a major scientific
achievement, and would have significant social and economic consequences. Already,
major technological countries (such as US, Canada, Korea, Israel) are establishing
advanced research and development programs to improve and exploit the use of
mediated experiences in health care. Concerned that Europe should not fall behind in
this important development, a group of internationally recognized European scientists
propose the first step in a strategy for consolidating education, training, research and
development in this domain in Europe. It will bring together scientists with different
approaches to Cybertherapy, for instance computer scientists, neuroscientists, human
computer interaction experts, clinicians, and rehabilitation therapists who will build up a
community and to coordinate their complementary approaches to make a conceptual
and practical contribution to Cybertherapy. The major vehicles for attaining these goals
will be: a) brainstorming sessions in which a small number of acknowledged experts
are brought together; b) scientific conferences or workshops; c) training of young basic
and clinical scientists across the EU; d) short-term (up to 15 days) and more lengthy
(from 15 days up to 6 months) exchange visits; e) a European-wide database of
protocols, clinical data and Cybertherapy tools; f) assistance to researchers in the field
of Cybertherapy in preparing cross-disciplinary coordinated research projects.