Virtual Realities Against Pain

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Virtual Realities Against Pain

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=47906

The feeling of pain produced during medical treatment can be reduced

through sophisticated virtual reality helmets, a simple computer game

and the determined predisposition of the patient. According to

research psychologists at the UAB, this type of distraction even

reduces the dosage of sedatives. Their research suggests putting

greater emphasis on methodology and on psychological aspects of this

technique in order to improve its property.

For over a decade, the technique of distraction has been researched

and successfully applied in clinical practice in order to reduce pain

associated with certain medical procedures. The use of distraction is

based on the assumption that there is an important psychological

element in the perception of pain, with the amount of attention given

to the harmful stimulus affecting the perception of the pain.

Distraction techniques are based on the patient's limited capacity

for attention, resulting in a reduction in the patient's attention to

the stimulus and therefore a reduction in the stimulus itself. It was

assumed that the ideal distractor would require an optimum amount of

attention involving various senses (visual, auditory and

kinaesthetic), an active emotional involvement, and participation

from the patient to compete with the signals of the harmful stimuli.

The advanced distraction techniques (ADTs) recently developed use 3D

images combined with dynamic audio stimuli, making the techniques

more likely to meet the requirements of an ideal distractor than the

traditional distraction methods such as watching a film or playing a

simple computer game.

The ADTs simulate real-life situations, and the possibilities are

infinite. For example, until now users could choose between taking a

flight, driving, downhill skiing, exploring buildings and many more

activities.

In this study, peer-reviewed publications on ADTs and pain have been

reviewed to determine the clinical effectiveness and importance of

using these techniques as analgesic. The results suggest that the

ADTs can significantly reduce the pain associated with medical

treatment. The use of analgesic was clinically revealing in most

cases, especially in patients with very high or unbearable levels of

pain. It was found that levels of anxiety were reduced during the

exposure, and the side effects, such as " simulator sickness " , were

hardly observed at all.

Although some studies continue to focus mainly on the technological

aspects and the effectiveness of ADTs, greater consideration is being

given to psychological aspects. Several personality traits (such as

absorption and dissociation) have been identified as important

factors for determining the level of involvement of the users,

possibly modulating the effectiveness of technological progress. For

example, some patients perceive a reduction in their visual field

(due to the video helmet) and a loss of awareness of the activities

of the medical practitioner, as well as a loss of control, leading to

an increase in anxiety and pain; other patients see it as positive

that they cannot see and perceive what the medical practitioner is

doing.

We can conclude that ADTs are very useful as analgesic, and can

reduce the amount of analgesic administered. This new field of study

can begin to move forward beyond its current initial phase by placing

more emphasis on methodology and psychological aspects.