Perception and Performance on a Virtual Reality Cognitive Stimulation for Use in the Intensive Care Unit: A Non-randomized Trial in Critically Ill Patients.

Stephan M Gerber,Stephan M Jakob,Samuel E J Knobel,René M Müri,Tobias Nef,Marie-Madlen Jeitziner,Urs P Mosimann

doi:10.3389/fmed.2019.00287

Stephan M Gerber, Stephan M Jakob + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2019.00287

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Abstract

Background: Newly acquired long-term cognitive impairments are common among survivors of critical illness. They have been linked to the stressful situation that patients experience in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this paper we use virtual reality (VR) technology to comfort critically ill patients and reduce stress during their ICU stay. We investigate the acceptance, comfort, recollection, and visual perception of VR stimulation and how it affects physiological parameters.Methods: A VR head-mounted display was used to present immersive nature scenes to 33 critically ill cardiac surgery patients [mean age 63 years (range 32–83)]. Data was collected with an eye tracker fitted inside the VR head-mounted display to measure eye movements (250 Hz) and sensors to record physiological parameters (240 Hz). Patients received VR stimulation (for 5 min.) prior to ICU admission, during ICU stay, and 3 months after discharge. Acceptance, recollection and comfort were assessed with validated questionnaires.Results: The number of gazed meaningful objects per minute was significantly lower during the ICU session compared to pre- and follow-up sessions, whereas mean duration of fixation on meaningful moving objects did not differ between the sessions. While respiratory rate decreased significantly during VR stimulation, heart rate and blood pressure remained constant. Post-ICU rating of VR acceptance during ICU stay was moderate to high and discomfort low. Recollection of VR was high [28/33 patients (84.8%)], while recollection of ICU stay was low [10/33 patients (30.3%)].Conclusion: Eye movements indicate that patients were able to perceive and process cognitive stimulation during their ICU stay. VR was recalled better than the rest of the ICU stay and well accepted. Decreased respiratory rate during stimulation indicate a relaxing effect of VR.

Highlights

The intensive care unit (ICU) is a noisy and stressful environment in which critically ill patients are exposed to psychological stress factors, including sensory overload and deprivation, isolation, temporal disorientation and a feeling of lack of control [1, 2]
We demonstrated that healthy participants stimulated by nature videos through immersive virtual reality (VR) in the ICU were more relaxed after the stimulation
In the second VR treatment during the ICU stay, patients had, on average, an APACHE II score of 22.3 and a SAPS II of 53.4, and all were extubated [on average within 8.1 h]

Summary

Introduction

The intensive care unit (ICU) is a noisy and stressful environment in which critically ill patients are exposed to psychological stress factors, including sensory overload and deprivation, isolation, temporal disorientation and a feeling of lack of control [1, 2]. After ICU stay, ∼50–75% of all critically ill patients will suffer from newly acquired long-term cognitive impairment [3,4,5]. These cognitive long-term effects were linked to the stressful situation that patients experience during their ICU stay [4, 6] They negatively affect health-related quality of life after ICU discharge and reduce the effectiveness of intensive care [7,8,9]. Acquired long-term cognitive impairments are common among survivors of critical illness They have been linked to the stressful situation that patients experience in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this paper we use virtual reality (VR) technology to comfort critically ill patients and reduce stress during their ICU stay. Comfort, recollection, and visual perception of VR stimulation and how it affects physiological parameters

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Conclusion