User Experience in Immersive Virtual Reality-Induced Hypoalgesia in Adults and Children Suffering from Pain Conditions

Abstract

Pain is the most common reason for medical consultation and use of health care resources. The high socio-economic burden of pain justifies seeking an appropriate therapeutic strategy. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a first-line non-pharmacological option for pain management. However, the growing literature has not been accompanied by substantial progress in understanding how VR could reduce the pain experience, with some user experience factors being associated with the hypoalgesic effects of immersive VR. The aim of this review is (i) to summarize the state of the art on the effects of VR on adults and children suffering from pain conditions; (ii) to identify and summarize how mechanisms across immersive VR user experience influence hypoalgesic effects in patients with acute and chronic pain among adults and children. A critical narrative review based on PICOT criteria (P = Patient or Population and Problem; I = Intervention or Indicator; C = O = Outcome; T = Type) was conducted that includes experimental studies or systematic reviews involving studies in experimentally induced pain, acute pain, or chronic pain in adults and children. The results suggest an association between immersive VR-induced hypoalgesia and user experience such as distraction, presence, interactivity, gamification, and virtual embodiment. These findings suggest that hierarchical relationships might exist between user experience-related factors and greater hypoalgesic effects following an immersive VR intervention. This relationship needs to be considered in the design and development of VR-based strategies for pain management.