Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) technology may serve as an effective non-pharmacological analgesic to aid pain management. During VR distraction, the individual is immersed in a game presented through a head-mounted display (HMD). The technological level of the HMD can vary, as can the use of different input devices and the inclusion of sound. While more technologically advanced designs may lead to more effective pain management the specific roles of individual components within such systems are not yet fully understood. Here, the role of supplementary auditory information was explored owing to its particular ecological relevance. Healthy adult participants took part in a series of cold-pressor trials submerging their hand in cold water for as long as possible. Individual pain tolerances were measured according to the time (in seconds) before the participant withdrew their hand. The concurrent use of a VR game and the inclusion of sound was varied systematically within participants. In keeping with previous literature, the use of a VR game increased pain tolerance across conditions. Highest pain tolerance was recorded when participants were simultaneously exposed to both the VR game and supplementary sound. The simultaneous inclusion of sound may therefore play an important role when designing VR to manage pain.

Highlights

  • Virtual reality (VR) technology can provide an effective nonpharmacological means to reduce acute and traumatic injury pain [1]

  • We compared the relative effectiveness of playing a VR game, listening to sound and the combination of the two on pain tolerance in cold-pressor trials

  • The results of the study are consistent with the suggestion that the analgesic effect of VR is due to competition for attentional resources [11,15]

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Summary

Background

Virtual reality (VR) technology can provide an effective nonpharmacological means to reduce acute and traumatic injury pain [1] This technique typically requires participants to experience a virtual digital environment through a combination of computer peripherals. With the individual component of sound, it is viable that the inclusion of sound alongside a VR experience will demand additional attentional resources that are otherwise not engaged, that this competition will limit the overall attentional resources available for pain perception, and in turn enhance the analgesic effect. This assumption has yet to be tested. It was expected that it would have an analgesic effect in its own right separate from any influence of the VR game

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