Non-interactive virtual reality to manage pain*

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of a noninteractive virtual reality (VR) intervention on pain related measures and on cognitive variables during a cold-pressor experience. Forty-six healthy participants underwent two consecutive cold-pressor trials, one staring to a virtual figure and one without VR, in counterbalanced order. During the VR intervention, participants were asked to passively imagine the correspondence between a stereoscopic VR figure and the experienced pain. Results showed no significant differences between the VR and no-VR condition for either pain or cognitive measures. The usefulness of a non-interactive VR intervention versus active VR strategies to cope with pain is discussed