NIH R01 · 2024
Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain
Summary The COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the opioid crisis have created a pressing need for telemedicine and consideration for use of non-pharmacological, low cost interventions as adjuvants in pain management arsenal. We propose a project investigating neural mechanisms underlying pain reduction induced by immersive Virtual Reality (VR). VR consists of immersion in artificial environments through the use of real-time rendering technologies and latest generation devices. We have recently demonstrated that VR increases pain tolerance limits and vagal activity with a parallel improvement in individual pain unpleasantness, mood, and situational anxiety. To enhance the translatability of…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.