Puberty and Virtual Reality Project

The goal of this project is to validate a virtual-reality adaptation of the TSST for Children (VR-TSST-C) as a sensitive tool for detecting changes in stress-induced inflammation and RL in adolescent girls. The VR-TSST offers a standardized, efficient alternative to the traditional face-to-face TSST, which combines public speaking and mental arithmetic tasks to induce robust endocrine stress responses in both adults and adolescents. In collaboration with Dr. Joiner, co-PI, we will validate whether the VR-TSST-C by adding avatar-generated positive vs. Negative feedback can successfully modulate stress responses and immune function among college students, as measured by salivary IL-6 and cortisol levels, respectively.   

Details about subject recruitment will be announced soon, pending IRB approval from Kean University. Stay tuned!