Virtual reality as a painkiller: the importance of including audio

What is it about?

Playing games in virtual reality can increase pain tolerance for a range of painful medical procedures (e.g. re-dressing burns, during cancer treatments etc.). In this study we explored the importance of sound for this analgesic effect using a laboratory based paradigm. Our results indicated that the combination of sound with the virtual reality game was particularly important: increases in pain tolerance were higher than listening to the sound on its own or playing the game on its own.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This has important implications for clinicians and other health professionals who could make use of virtual reality technology in the near future.