Virtual Reality associated with patient distraction in oncology treatments
In oncology, virtual reality is emerging as an innovative tool to mitigate the adverse effects of chemotherapy. In a pioneering study at Duke University (2007), 123 patients with breast, colon or lung cancer used virtual reality viewers during their first chemotherapy cycle, experiencing a marked reduction in time perception, anxiety and fatigue.
Time perception during chemotherapy is critical, as unpleasant stimuli can intensify anxiety and fatigue. Virtual reality, acting as a distraction, diverts the patient’s attention, decreasing the perception of elapsed time and promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.
In another study at a tertiary centre in Toronto, Canada, three virtual reality sessions were administered to children and adolescents (9-15 years) with leukaemia. The use of virtual reality viewers during the main phase demonstrated significant reductions in pain and stress, even up to one week after the invasive procedures were performed. These findings underscore the additional benefits of virtual reality in the comprehensive management of pain and stress in the oncology setting.
Ref 2 :ย Effects of Virtual Reality on Symptom Distress in Children Receiving Chemotherapy
Virtual Reality for surgeons planning operations
Looking at the data according to InvisionOS, we find that :
Surgical education is expensive, difficult to scale and not universally accessible. $4,830 is the amount medical device companies spend per surgeon for a 2-day lab.
Many residents are not universally prepared to perform basic procedures. Specifically, 66% of new fellows find themselves unable to operate for 30 minutes without supervision.
PrecisionOSย offers a modular virtual surgical training design that incorporates proven learning theories to support competency-based training initiatives. Using accurate simulations that recreate real OR experiences in surgical training simulators, they create depth of understanding by bridging the gap between real pathology and images for true case-based learning. This integrates virtual reality with surgical treatments.
I would also like to highlight the curious experiences of Colin O’Connor, his co-founder, who has worked for companies such as Electronic Arts (EA) or Black Box Games as well as Roberto Oliveira who shares the same companies in his expertise as well as Disney.
Virtual Reality Rehabilitation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients
This study compared the effects of an inpatient-based rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using non-immersive virtual reality (VR) training with a traditional pulmonary rehabilitation programme. The objectives of this study were to determine :
1) Whether rehabilitation with VR, as well as exercise training, provides benefits over exercise training without VR.
2) Whether rehabilitation with VR training instead of exercise training provides equivalent benefits.
The study recruited 106 COPD patients for a 2-week, five-times-weekly, high-intensity intervention. Randomised into three groups, 34 patients participated in a traditional pulmonary rehabilitation programme including resistance exercise training ( ET ), 38 patients participated in traditional pulmonary rehabilitation including resistance exercise training and virtual reality training ( ET + VR ) and 34 patients participated in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme including virtual reality training but no resistance exercise training ( VR ).
The traditional pulmonary rehabilitation programme consisted of physical conditioning exercises, endurance breathing strength and relaxation training. Xbox 360ยฎ and Kinectยฎ . Adventures software was used for VR training of strength, endurance, trunk control and dynamic upper and lower body balance. Comparison of changes in the Senior Fitness Test was the main outcome. The analysis was performed using linear mixed-effects models.
Results
The comparison between ET and ET+VR groups showed that ET+VR group was superior to ET group in Arm Curl (p<0.003), Chair stand (p<0.008), Back scratch (p<0.002), etc, Chair sit and reach (p<0.001), Up and go (p<0.000), 6 minute walk test (p<0.011). Whereas, comparison between ET and VR groups showed that VR group was superior to ET group in Arm Curl (p<0.000), Chair stand (p<0.001), 6 minute walk test (p<0.031)
Comparison between the ET and VR groups showed that in 3 of the 6 components (Arm Curl, Chair Standing and, most importantly, 6 MWT), VR was statistically significantly superior to ET. In three components, the differences did not reach significance (Back Scratching, Sit and Stretch in Chair and Get Up and Go).
Ref : Virtual Reality Rehabilitation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Sebastian Rutkowski, Anna Rutkowska, Paweล Kiper, Dariusz Jastrzebski, Henryk Racheniuk, Andrea Turolla, Jan Szczegielniak and Richard Casaburi
Of course there are countless studies and uses in the health sector with virtual reality devices on people, but it would be intractable and untreatable in a single article so see you in the next editions where I will show you many more case studies with samples and evidence in the population.
Thank you very much
