Saint Esprit

Cocaine use disorder is a serious condition with significant health and social impacts. Researchers are evaluating a new approach using virtual reality cue exposure therapy (VRCET) combined with memory focused cognitive therapy (MFCT) to reduce cocaine craving. This trial compares this innovative method to a classical pictures-based cue exposure therapy over a 3-week period in adults receiving residential treatment for cocaine use disorder. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group will receive 10 sessions of 10-minute virtual reality cue exposures over 2 weeks, followed by 5 sessions of memory focused cognitive therapy in week 3. The control group will receive 15 sessions of 10-minute pictures-based cue exposure therapy over 3 weeks. Both therapies aim to reduce craving by exposing participants to cocaine-related cues in a controlled setting. Virtual reality sessions use immersive, interactive technology tailored to the participant's characteristics, while the control uses standard 2D pictures. During the study, participants will report their cocaine craving intensity and frequency at the start, midpoints, end of treatment, and one month later. Researchers will also collect subjective reports, urine samples, and physiological measures related to cocaine use. The primary outcomes focus on changes in cocaine craving intensity and frequency. The study involves 54 voluntary adult patients undergoing residential treatment at two hospitals in Martinique, with safety and adherence carefully monitored throughout the trial.