Here’s another interesting application of VR from the Eurogamer article (below). If VR can be used to mimic the symptoms of certain diseases, then immersion in the lived experience of neurological and cognitive disorders may foster better empathetic understanding of those living with such conditions. This can be both an educational and a humanizing tool.

From RehabTao:

Recreational VR therapy for older adults is certainly gaining traction as the technology becomes more accessible. However, the latter two games in this article demonstrate a compelling avenue for health education. Combining symptom simulation and an emotional narrative in VR, such games can help caregivers and the wider public gain insight into some of the experiences of those living with cognitive/neurological conditions.

Eurogamer: VR has already taken people with dementia to the seaside – and now video games are exploring neurological disease itself

Dr. Bernie Garrett, Dr. Tarnia Taverner, and Mr. Paul McDade have recently published an article for the case series that was conducted to explore VR as an adjunctive home therapy for chronic pain management.

Ten chronic pain patients received VR therapy for 30 min on alternate days for 1 month. Pre- and post-exposure (immediately afterwards, 3 h, and at 24 h) pain assessment was recorded using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and weekly using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and Self-completed Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scale (S-LANSS). Terminal semistructured personal interviews with the patients were also undertaken.

Of the 8 patients who completed the study, 5 of them reported that pain was reduced during the VR experience but no overall treatment difference in pain scores post-exposure was observed. VR was not associated with any serious adverse events, although 60% of patients reported some cybersickness during some of the experiences.

Of note is that the majority of these study participants reported a reduction in pain while using the VR but with highly individualized responses. One patient also reported some short-term improved mobility following VR use. Some evidence was found for the short-term efficacy of VR in chronic pain but no evidence for persistent benefits.

For the full article, please visit: http://medinform.jmir.org/2017/2/e11/

Happy reading!

Two Simon Fraser University students have developed a virtual reality farm game to help young cancer patients deal with pain. The game is aimed at 12 to 18 year olds for use during chemotherapy treatments, as patients often experience pain and boredom when they are stuck in bed.

Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-05-virtual-farm-game-young-cancer.html#jCp

Immersive multimedia experience for cancer patients with chronic pain is now recruiting patients for a clinical trial set to start in July, 2017.

Immersive multimedia experiences have been shown to benefit individuals from  a range of clinical settings such as in patients experiencing acute pain. These experiences may also help reduce chronic pain by changing the pain modulation system within the central nervous system and altering pain signal pathways. We are exploring if these technologies can help cancer survivors who are experiencing chronic pain.

We wish to recruit cancer patients to test the use of an immersive multimedia experience in their own homes. The equipment and training will be provided.

For eligibility criteria, and more information about this study, please contact Crystal Sun (Project Manager).

Phone: 604-822-7679

Email: Crystal.Sun@ubc.ca

See: Recruitment Poster