An Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention for Preoperative Anxiety and Distress Among Adults Undergoing Oncological Surgery: Protocol for a 3-Phase Development and Feasibility Trial.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative state anxiety (PSA) is distress and anxiety directly associated with perioperative events. PSA is associated with negative postoperative outcomes such as longer hospital length of stay, increased pain and opioid use, and higher rates of rehospitalization. Psychological prehabilitation, such as education, exposure to hospital environments, and relaxation strategies, has been shown to mitigate PSA; however, there are limited skilled personnel to deliver such interventions in clinical practice. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has the potential for greater accessibility and enhanced integration into an immersive and interactive experience. VR is rarely used in the preoperative setting, but similar forms of stress inoculation training involving exposure to stressful events have improved psychological preparation in contexts such as military deployment. OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to develop and investigate a targeted PSA intervention in patients undergoing oncological surgery using a single preoperative VR exposure. The primary objectives are to (1) develop a novel VR program for patients undergoing oncological surgery with general anesthesia; (2) assess the feasibility, including acceptability, of a single exposure to this intervention; (3) assess the feasibility, including acceptability, of outcome measures of PSA; and (4) use these results to refine the VR content and outcome measures for a larger trial. A secondary objective is to preliminarily assess the clinical utility of the intervention for PSA. METHODS: This study comprises 3 phases. Phase 1 (completed) involved the development of a VR prototype targeting PSA, using multidisciplinary iterative input. Phase 2 (data collection completed) involves examining the feasibility aspects of the VR intervention. This randomized feasibility trial involves assessing the novel VR preoperative intervention compared to a VR control (ie, nature trek) condition and a treatment-as-usual group among patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Phase 3 will involve refining the prototype based on feasibility findings and input from people with lived experience for a future clinical trial, using focus groups with participants from phase 2. RESULTS: This study was funded in March 2019. Phase 1 was completed in April 2020. Phase 2 data collection was completed in January 2024 and data analysis is ongoing. Focus groups were completed in February 2024. Both the feasibility study and focus groups will contribute to further refinement of the initial VR prototype (phase 3), with the final simulation to be completed by mid-2024. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this work will contribute to the limited body of research examining feasible and broadly accessible interventions for PSA. Knowledge gained from this research will contribute to the final development of a novel VR intervention to be tested in a large population of patients with cancer before surgery in a randomized clinical trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04544618; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04544618. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55692.

Virtual reality-based interventions, a neoteric approach for management and rehabilitation in patients with breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) patients and survivors can experience immense emotional and psychosocial trauma. Treatment modalities for BC, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are associated with certain displeasing and undesirable effects, including physical restrictions as well as mental stress. However, it has been ascertained that appropriate supportive and rehabilitative strategies can significantly help to alleviate the distress. Along with several conventional physical therapy options, the novel Virtual Reality (VR) tool has opened a new gateway in rehabilitative approaches in patients with BC. We reviewed the role of VR based management for BC-related incapacitations and found that its efficacy is comparable to that of contemporary therapy options. It has the additional benefits of modulating pain perceptions, improving mobility, and overall enhancing the quality of life of BC survivors.

Virtual Reality for the Management of Pain and Anxiety for IR Procedures: A Prospective, Randomized, Pilot Study on Digital Sedation.

PURPOSE: To assess the analgesic and anxiolytic effects of virtual reality (VR) augmentation in patients undergoing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement or fine-needle aspiration thyroid biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, single-center randomized controlled trial with 107 patients enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard of care (SOC) or SOC+VR during PICC or thyroid biopsy procedures. Pain and anxiety were individually measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) before and after the procedure. Vital signs including heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded. One-way analysis of variance test and Games-Howell post hoc analysis were used to assess effect size and statistical significance between SOC and SOC+VR measures. RESULTS: The PICC cohort consisted of 59 patients (33 in SOC+VR and 26 in SOC), with a median age of 53.1 years (interquartile range [IQR], 38.3-62.7 years). The thyroid biopsy cohort consisted of 48 patients (26 in SOC+VR and 22 in SOC), with a median age of 60.1 years (IQR, 49.0-67.2 years). One-way analysis of individuals undergoing thyroid biopsies with adjunctive VR revealed an effect size of -1.74 points (SE ± 0.71; P = .018) on VAS pain scale when compared with SOC. Analysis of individuals undergoing PICC placements revealed an effect size of -1.60 points (SE ± 0.81; P = .053) on VAS anxiety when compared with SOC. CONCLUSIONS: VR as a nonpharmacologic adjunct reduced some procedure-related pain and anxiety without increasing the procedural duration.

Virtual reality exposure therapy to decrease anxiety before surgical invasive procedures in hemodialysis patients: an interventional study.

BACKGROUND: Hemodialysis patients are prone to anxiety and depression due to physiological changes and psychological tensions that leave irreversible effects on the patients. In this regard, the present study was an attempt to provide a simulated situation by using virtual reality on the anxiety level of dialysis patients before performing surgical procedures. METHODS: This non-equivalent groups pre-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2022 in a hemodialysis ward of Imam Khomeini General Hospital affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The study population was patients suffering from kidney failure referred to this hospital. The participants were 30 patients selected from the study population, who were allocated into two groups (15 in each experimental and control group). The control group received routine training in the ward. The experimental group participants watched five educational virtual reality (VR) contents in addition to the routine training. They used head-mounted display VR (VR BOX headset 2.0 virtual reality glasses) to immerse in a virtual environment similar to the real world covering the experience of entering the operating room, during the surgery, and after surgery. The data gathering instrument was a valid and reliable anxiety inventory. The collected data was analyzed at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that the anxiety scores of the experimental and control groups had no significant difference before intervention. However, after the intervention of virtual reality, the state and trait anxiety of the experimental group participants were significantly lower than the control group (P-value < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The application of VR for maintenance hemodialysis patients before invasive surgical procedures decreases patients' anxiety. Considering the devastating and undeniable impacts of anxiety on the lives of patients referring to hemodialysis centers, the application of VR is suggested to decrease their anxiety.

A brief virtual reality intervention for pre-operative anxiety in adults.

OBJECTIVE: Virtual reality (VR) is a promising non-pharmacologic tool for managing health care anxiety. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a pre-operative VR intervention by adult patients and medical staff and measured anxiety in adult patients pre- and post-VR intervention. STUDY DESIGN: We recruited 30 patients scheduled to undergo oral surgery and 8 medical staff as participants. The patients completed a verbal demographic survey and rated their anxiety before the VR intervention and at 1 minute and 2 minutes post-intervention. We administered the Acceptability of Intervention Measure to the patients to measure their perceptions of the VR intervention and the Feasibility of Intervention Measure to the medical staff to assess their perception of VR implementation. We performed an analysis of variance to compare pre-operative anxiety over time and assess demographic differences. RESULTS: The patients showed high and consistent acceptability of the pre-operative use of VR among patients, but acceptability varied among medical staff. The patients experienced a statistically significant reduction of pre-operative anxiety (P = .003). CONCLUSION: A brief VR pre-intervention is highly accepted by and very beneficial for patients undergoing oral surgery, positively affecting anxiety reduction. The perception of VR by health care providers needs to be explored to increase acceptability.

Virtual reality interventions to reduce psychological distress during colonoscopy: a rapid review.

INTRODUCTION: Colonoscopy can cause psychological distress in patients, consequently discouraging patients from undergoing an unpleasant procedure or reducing compliance with follow-up examinations. This rapid review aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR) interventions during colonoscopy on patients' perceived psychological distress and procedure satisfaction. AREAS COVERED: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest/All Databases, and Cochrane Library databases on 1 December 2022, with a date limiter of 2002-2022 for articles that investigated the effect and feasibility of any type of immersive VR-based intervention on patients' pain, anxiety, discomfort, and procedure satisfaction immediately before, during, and/or post-procedure of colonoscopy. EXPERT OPINION: Initially, 118 articles were identified, of which seven were eligible and included in this rapid review. Our findings demonstrate that VR interventions during colonoscopy were feasible, significantly reduced participant pain and anxiety, and significantly increased participant satisfaction with the procedure. VR interventions appear to be an effective alternative for patients who prefer to avoid analgetic medications or as an adjunct to routine sedation during colonoscopy. Directions of research design should focus on an optimized blinding process, using the high-end technology of 3-dimensional devices, considering an audiovisual distracting intervention, and designing multicenter and high-quality Randomized Controlled Trials.

Feasibility of a virtual reality intervention targeting distress and anxiety symptoms in patients with primary brain tumors: Interim analysis of a phase 2 clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Cancer patients experience distress and anxiety when undergoing imaging studies to monitor disease status, yet these symptoms are not always appropriately identified or well-managed. This interim analysis of a phase 2 clinical trial explored feasibility and acceptability of a virtual reality relaxation (VR) intervention for primary brain tumor (PBT) patients at the time of clinical evaluation. METHODS: English speaking, adult PBT patients with previous reports of distress and upcoming neuroimaging were recruited between March of 2021 and March 2022. A brief VR session was done within 2 weeks prior to neuroimaging with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) collected before and immediately post-intervention. Self-directed VR use over the next 1 month was encouraged with additional PROs assessments at 1 and 4 weeks. Feasibility metrics included enrollment, eligibility, attrition, and device-related adverse effects with satisfaction measured with qualitative phone interviews. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were approached via email, 40 (73%) responded and 20 (50%) enrolled (9 declines, 11 screen fails). 65% of participants were ≤ 50 years, 50% were male, 90% were White/non-Hispanic, 85% had good KPS (≥ 90), and most were on active treatment. All patients completed the VR intervention, PROs questionnaires, weekly check-ins, and qualitative interview. Most (90%) reported frequent VR use and high satisfaction and only 7 mild AEs were recorded (headache, dizziness, nausea, neck pain). CONCLUSION: This interim analysis supports feasibility and acceptability of a novel VR intervention to target psychological symptoms for PBT patients. Trial enrollment will continue to assess for intervention efficacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04301089 registered on 3/9/2020.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a virtual reality intervention targeting distress and anxiety in primary brain tumor patients at the time of clinical evaluation: Study protocol for a phase 2 clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Primary brain tumor (PBT) patients experience higher levels of distress and anxiety than other solid tumor patients, particularly at the time of clinical evaluation when uncertainty about disease status is high ("scanxiety"). There is promising evidence supporting use of virtual reality (VR) to target psychological symptoms in other solid tumor patients, though PBT patients have not been studied extensively in this context. The primary aim of this phase 2 clinical trial is to establish the feasibility of a remote VR-based relaxation intervention for a PBT population, with secondary aims designed to determine preliminary efficacy of improving distress and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: PBT patients (N = 120) with upcoming MRI scans and clinical appointments who meet eligibility will be recruited to participate in a single arm trial conducted remotely through the NIH. Following completion of baseline assessments, participants will complete a 5-min VR intervention via telehealth using a head-mounted immersive device while under supervision of the research team. Following the intervention, over the course of 1 month patients can use VR at their discretion with follow-up assessments done immediately post-VR intervention, as well as 1 week and 4 weeks later. Additionally, a qualitative phone interview will be conducted to assess patient satisfaction with the intervention. DISCUSSION: Use of immersive VR is an innovative interventional approach to target distress and scanxiety symptoms in PBT patients who are at high risk for experiencing these symptoms leading into their clinical appointments. Findings from this study may inform design of a future multicenter randomized VR trial for PBT patients and may aid in development of similar interventions for other oncology populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04301089), registered 9 March 2020.

Imagem guiada para qualidade de vida de mulheres com câncer cervical: estudo quase experimental / Guided image for quality of life of women with cervical cancer: quasi-experimental study / Imagen guiada para la calidad de vida de mujeres con cáncer de cuello uterino: estudio cuasi-experimental

Introdução: As terapias mente-corpo, como o relaxamento com imagem guiada, que estão entre as principais práticas integrativas utilizadas por pacientes oncológicos, são essenciais para manter equilíbrio saudável entre a excitação simpática e parassimpática no cérebro. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito do relaxamento por imagem guiada, com o uso da realidade virtual, na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de mulheres com câncer de colo uterino em tratamento concomitante com quimiorradioterapia. Materiais e Método: Estudo quase experimental, realizado em um hospital de referência em oncologia no Sul do Brasil, de outubro de 2019 a janeiro de 2021. Participaram 52 mulheres, divididas em dois grupos, experimental (intervenção relaxamento por imagem guiada com realidade virtual), e controle (rotina padrão). Utilizou-se para avaliação dos escores da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde o instrumento Functional Assessmentof Cancer Therapy Cervix Cancer,aplicado antes, 14 dias após e, ao término do tratamento, em aproximadamente 35 dias. As análises foram realizadas pelo modelo linear generalizado misto, com a matriz de covariância autorregressiva de ordem 1, e a significância foi confirmada pelo teste de Sidak. Resultados: Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa para o grupo experimental nos domínios físico (p=0,02), funcional (p=0,00), sintomas específicos do câncer de colo de útero e efeitos do tratamento (p=0,03) e qualidade de vida global (p=0,02). Conclusão: O relaxamento por Imagem Guiada contribuiu na melhora na Qualidade de Vida Relacionada à Saúde das pacientes com câncer de colo do útero, durante o tratamento com quimiorradiação.

Introduction: Mind-body therapies, such as guided imagery relaxation, which are among the main integrative practices used by cancer patients, are essential for maintaining a healthy balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic arousal in the brain. Objective: To evaluate the effect of guided image relaxation, with the use of virtual reality, on the health-related quality of life of women with cervical cancer undergoing concomitant treatment with chemoradiotherapy. Materials and Method: A quasi-experimental study, carried out in an oncology referral hospital in southern Brazil, from October 2019 to January 2021. 52 women participated, divided into two groups, experimental (relaxation intervention guided by imagery with virtual reality), and control (default routine). The Functional instrument was used to assess health-related quality of life scores. Assessment of Cancer therapy cervix cancer, applied before, 14 days after and at the end of treatment, in approximately 35 days. The analyzes were performed using the mixed generalized linear model, with an autoregressive covariance matrix of order 1, and the significance was confirmed by the Sidak test. Results: There was a statistically significant difference for the experimental group in the physical (p =0.02), functional (p =0.00), specific symptoms of cervical cancer and treatment effects (p =0.03) and overall quality of life (p =0.02). Conclusion: Guided Image Relaxation contributed to an improvement in the Health-Related Quality of Life of patients with cervical cancer during treatment with chemoradiation.

Introducción: Las terapias de mente y cuerpo, como la relajación de imágenes guiadas, que se encuentran entre las principales prácticas integradoras utilizadas por los pacientes con cáncer, son esenciales para mantener un equilibrio saludable entre la activación simpática y parasimpática en el cerebro. Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de la relajación de imagen guiada, con el uso de realidad virtual, sobre la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud de mujeres con cáncer de cuello uterino en tratamiento concomitante con quimiorradioterapia. Materiales y Método: Estudio cuasi-experimental, realizado en un hospital de referencia de oncología en el sur de Brasil, de octubre de 2019 a enero de 2021. Participaron 52 mujeres, divididas en dos grupos, experimental (intervención de relajación guiada por imaginería con realidad virtual), y control (rutina por defecto). El instrumento funcional se utilizó para evaluar las puntuaciones de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud. Evaluación de Cáncer terapia cuello uterino cáncer, aplicado antes, 14 días después y al final del tratamiento, en aproximadamente 35 días. Los análisis se realizaron utilizando el modelo lineal generalizado mixto, con una matriz de covarianza autorregresiva de orden 1, y la significación fue confirmada por la prueba de Sidak. Resultados: hubo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa para el grupo experimental en la calidad de vida física (p = 0,02), funcional (p = 0,00), síntomas específicos del cáncer de cuello uterino y efectos del tratamiento (p = 0,03) y en general (p = 0,02).). Conclusión: La Relajación por Imagen Guiada contribuyó a mejorar la Calidad de Vida Relacionada con la Salud de las pacientes con cáncer de cuello uterino durante el tratamiento con quimiorradioterapia.

Feasibility of a VR Intervention to Decrease Anxiety in Children with Tumors Undergoing CVC Dressing.

Virtual reality (VR) represents a promising digital intervention for managing distress and anxiety in children with tumors undergoing painful medical procedures. In an experimental cross-over study, we administered a VR intervention consisting of relaxing games during central venous catheter (CVC) dressing. The VR sessions were compared with no-VR during CVC medication. We used the distress thermometer and RCMAS-2 scale to assess distress and anxiety levels. We also explored the satisfaction level in patients and families. We enrolled 22 children. The distress levels after medication were lower in the VR group than in those without VR (VR: median 2; IQR 0-2; no-VR: median 4; IQR: 3-5). No variation in anxiety levels was detected by VR intervention. Satisfaction for using VR was very high in children and their families although a total of 12% of children were disappointed by the effect of VR. Most healthcare workers felt that VR would be useful in routine clinical practice. A VR intervention is highly acceptable, may be efficacious in decreasing distress in children with cancer undergoing painful procedures, but it is less likely that it has a measurable impact on anxiety. Evidence from larger studies is needed to assess VR translation into the clinical workflow.

The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interventions on Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol, Physical Activity and/or Obesity Risk Factors: A Systematic Review.

To our knowledge, no systematic reviews have examined the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) interventions across all smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity, and/or obesity (SNAPO) risk factors. This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of VR interventions on reducing SNAPO risks compared to control groups or other interventions. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL were searched to identify eligible studies published to 7 October 2021. Two reviewers independently completed screening, data extraction and quality assessment. Twenty-six studies were included, five on smoking, twelve on physical activity (PA), six on obesity, one on PA and obesity, one on obesity and nutrition, and one on obesity, nutrition and PA. VR was effective for smoking cessation in three studies and for smoking reduction in four studies. Seven studies had significantly higher PA in the VR group, and one study found significantly higher PA in a comparator group. Two studies showed VR was more effective at reducing BMI or weight than comparators. Three multiple health risks studies showed mixed results. The remaining studies found no significant difference between VR and control/comparators. VR appears promising for the treatment of smoking, nutrition, PA, and obesity risks; however, further randomised trials are needed.

The benefits and acceptability of virtual reality interventions for women with metastatic breast cancer in their homes; a pilot randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) report debilitating physical and psychological symptoms, including fatigue, anxiety, and pain, that greatly impact their quality of life. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as an adjunctive pain therapy for patients with cancer, and evidence suggests it may also decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess whether VR should be pursued as a feasible and acceptable adjunctive therapy to alleviate physical and psychological symptoms in women with MBC. METHODS: We conducted a pilot study testing the acceptability and efficacy of VR interventions with MBC patients to improve quality of life and to produce enduring decreases in fatigue, pain, depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants completed two different week-long VR experiences, reporting the prevalence of symptoms immediately before and after each study week, and 48 h later. Linear mixed models including fixed effects (VR intervention, counterbalancing order, and study week) and random effects (participant) were used to assess the effect of immersive VR on all outcome measures. RESULTS: Thirty-eight women with MBC completed the VR interventions and were included in analyses. Significant improvements post-intervention and/or 48 h later were demonstrated for quality of life, fatigue, pain, depression, anxiety, and stress. Across the entire study period, these differences met the criteria of a clinically important difference for quality of life, fatigue, depression, and stress. Participants reported feelings of relaxation and enjoyment and were highly likely to use the interventions gain. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that VR experiences offer enduring benefits to the physical and psychological well-being of women with MBC. VR interventions are a feasible and acceptable intervention that can be conducted in a patient's own home. Such interventions are worthy of future investigation as a novel approach to improving quality of life in a patient population that have often been overlooked. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Prospectively registered on 25th October 2019 with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ref: ACTRN12619001480178 ).

SafeSpace: what is the feasibility and acceptability of a codesigned virtual reality intervention, incorporating compassionate mind training, to support people undergoing cancer treatment in a clinical setting?

OBJECTIVES: The SafeSpace study codesigned and tested a virtual reality (VR) intervention, incorporating relaxation and compassionate mind training to determine acceptability/feasibility in an oncology setting and evaluate impact on physical/psychological well-being and quality of life. DESIGN: A two-phase study. Phase I determined key characteristics using an experienced-based codesign approach. Phase II evaluated the intervention using various measures and qualitative interviews in a mixed methods approach. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse measures data and framework analysis to analyse interviews. SETTING: A specialist cancer centre, UK. PARTICIPANTS: 11 in phase I and 21 in phase II. Participants were in cancer treatment, recovery or palliative care. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME: Primary outcome: acceptability of the intervention, assessed by >60% uptake of three sessions. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: impact on psychological well-being using EQ-5D/QLQ-C30, Profile of Mood Scale, Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, Depression and Anxiety Severity Scale 21, Self-Compassion Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire and a locally developed questionnaire to capture self-compassion post use. Physiological impact was assessed by change in heart rate (HR)/HR variability and electrodermal activity (EDA). RESULTS: Twenty participants (mean age=48.7 years; SD=16.87); 65% (n=13) completed three sessions. Mental well-being improved following each use and from baseline to after session 3 (VR 1-z=2.846, p≤0.01; VR 2-z=2.501, p≤0.01; VR 3-z=2.492, p≤0.01). There was statistically significant difference in mean scores for EDA at mid-session and post session compared with pre session (F (1.658, 4.973)=13.364, p<0.05). There was statistically significant reduction in stress levels from baseline to post session 3. Participants found the intervention acceptable and highlighted areas for development. CONCLUSION: The intervention is acceptable and feasible and has shown positive effects on mental well-being/stress in the oncology setting. Larger studies are needed to confirm findings.

Using Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) in managing different types of pain in different age groups and to provide evidence for the clinical application of new alternative strategy for pain management. METHODS: Electronic databases, including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science, were searched for studies published up to October 2020. Randomized controlled trials that reported on VR for pain management were included. RESULTS: A total of 31 randomized controlled trials were included. As for the pain intensity, the increase of visual analog scale score in the VR group was 1.62 scores less than that in the control group. In juvenile patients, the VR group had 1.79 scores lower than that in control group. For adult patients, the VR group had 1.34 scores lower than that in control group. As for other pain-related indicators, the VR group had lower levels of anxiety, lower pain unpleasantness, lower pulse rate, and shorter duration of dressing change and spent less time thinking about pain. Nevertheless, there was no statistical difference in pain tolerance. VR can effectively alleviate acute pain. In terms of chronic low back pain and cancer-related pain, there was no statistical difference between VR therapy and standard therapy. CONCLUSIONS: VR is a feasible alternative therapy for both juveniles and adults in pain management, and it has a greater potential for juveniles. VR can effectively alleviate acute pain. Nevertheless, VR showed little effectiveness in increasing pain tolerance, which may explain in part the ineffectiveness of VR therapy in pain management for chronic pain.

The Impact of Virtual Reality in Enhancing the Quality of Life of Pediatric Oncology Patients.

Pediatric oncology interventions involve many challenges, such as multiple hospitalizations, invasive procedures, and adverse physical and psychological treatment side effects. Treatment burden, including administration of general anesthesia, contributes to high levels of psychological distress among pediatric patients and their families. Virtual reality (VR) is a distraction method, which offers an extremely realistic and interactive virtual environment and helps reduce pain and distress by means of a head-mounted display and headphones. VR is based on two crucial dimensions: immersion and presence, which results in the complete suspension of disbelief that the experience is artificial and allows a greater degree of presence and reaction to the stimulations. The VR technology has become a common practice in scientific and clinical research due to its affordability and ease of use. In pediatric settings, the most widely researched clinical application of VR has focused on the effectiveness of VR distraction therapy in the attenuation of acute pain, anxiety, and distress during invasive medical procedures. It has also been hypothesized to be a nonpharmacological form of analgesia that positively influences the body's intricate pain modulation system during painful medical procedures. In this review, we showed the potential benefits of VR technology during radiotherapy and intrathecal procedures on pediatric oncology patients and its involvement in enhancing their quality of life during and after the treatment. Therefore, a collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and programmers is crucial for the inclusion of VR technology in more clinical procedures, which would consequently enhance the patient's quality of life.

Efficacy of mirror therapy and virtual reality therapy in alleviating phantom limb pain: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Amputations result from trauma, war, conflict, vascular diseases and cancer. Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a potentially debilitating form of chronic pain affecting around 100 million amputees across the world. Mirror therapy and virtual reality (VR) are two commonly used treatments, and we evaluated their respective success rates. METHODS: A meta-analysis and systematic review was undertaken to investigate mirror therapy and VR in their ability to reduce pain levels. A mean difference (MD) model to compare group pain levels pretreatment and post-treatment via aggregating these results from numerous similar studies was employed. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan (V.5.4) and expressed in MD for visual analogue scale (VAS) score. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies met our search criteria; they consisted of eight mirror therapy with 214 participants and seven VR including 86 participants, totalling 300 participants. Mean age ranged from 36 to 63 years, 77% male, of which 61% were lower body amputees. Both led to a VAS reduction (mirror therapy mean reduction VAS score was 2.54, 95% CI 1.42 to 3.66; p<0.001; VR 2.24, 95% CI 1.28 to 3.20; p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in pain alleviation between mirror therapy and VR (p=0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Mirror therapy and VR are both equally efficacious in alleviating PLP, but neither is more effective than the other. However, due to small sample size and limited number of studies, factors such as gender, cause of amputation, site of limb loss or length of time from amputation, which may influence treatment success, could not be explored.

Virtual reality interventions and the outcome measures of adult patients in acute care settings undergoing surgical procedures: An integrative review.

AIMS: To evaluate the different types of virtual reality (VR) therapy received by adult patients undergoing surgical procedures in acute care settings and the outcome measures, as well as to highlight the acceptability and feasibility of VR approaches among patients and healthcare workers. DESIGN: Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method guided the analysis. DATA SOURCES: Searches were conducted in ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Wiley Online Library, Medline, PsycINFO and PubMed and Google Scholar from 2000 to June 2021. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic search on articles published in English was carried out with electronic databases and hand search references. Keywords searched included primary qualitative and quantitative studies that utilized VR therapy in surgical care settings. RESULTS: Eighteen articles were reviewed, which reported the use of two main strategies: guided and interactive imagery therapy. The findings identified: (i) patient-clinical outcome measures including the use of analgesics, vital signs, functional capacity and length of hospital stay; and (ii) patient-reported experience measures including pain, anxiety and satisfaction level. Comfort, age, knowledge and attitude were key factors influencing the acceptability of VR among the patients, whereas cost-effectiveness and infection control were two main factors affecting the feasibility of use among the health care workers. CONCLUSION: VR therapy demonstrated potential improvements in both the patient-clinical outcomes and patient-reported experiences of those undergoing surgical procedures. However, the findings were inconsistent, which required further research to explore and establish the effectiveness of using VR in the context of acute care settings. IMPACT: VR distraction has been increasingly used as a non-pharmacological method in managing pain, easing anxiety and optimizing other associated outcomes in patients undergoing surgical procedures. It is essential to examine the effectiveness of VR therapy on the adult patients' outcomes in acute care settings with surgical procedures, as well as its acceptability and feasibility of use.

A Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality and In Vivo Exposure Therapy as Psychological Interventions for Public Speaking Anxiety.

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a prevalent condition with disabling occupational, educational, and social consequences. Exposure therapy is a commonly utilized approach for treating PSA. Traditionally, this intervention has been delivered as in vivo exposure therapy (IVET). Limitations inherent to in vivo as a mode of delivery have been identified and studies have increasingly explored the use of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) as an alternative. Understanding the efficacy of both VRET and IVET as psychological interventions for PSA is important. A systematic search identified 11 studies with 508 participants. Meta-analysis yielded a large significant effect wherein VRET resulted in significant reductions in PSA versus control of -1.39 (Z = 3.96, p < .001) and a similar large significant effect wherein IVET resulted in significant reductions in PSA versus control of -1.41 (Z = 7.51, p < .001). Although IVET was marginally superior to VRET, both interventions proved efficacious. Given the advantages of utilizing VRET over IVET future research and clinical practice could explore VRET as a treatment option for PSA.