The effect of a new type of video glasses on the perceived intensity of pain and unpleasantness evoked by a cold pressor test.
The aim of the study was to evaluate whether distraction induced by a new generation of video glasses (I-Glasses, Virtual i-O, Seattle, WA) has an effect on the perceived intensity of pain and unpleasantness. The effects of three-dimensional video, two-dimensional video, and no video glasses (control) were compared in two groups of healthy volunteers (13 males and 11 females) in a randomized, controlled trial. A cold pressor stimulus (1-2 degrees C chilled water) was used to induce experimental pain, and the volunteers rated the intensity of pain and unpleasantness on 100-mm visual analogue scales. The ratings were statistically compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Between the groups (males and females), there was a significant difference (P < .01) in the rating of unpleasantness in the three-dimensional video condition, while there were no significant differences between the genders in the other conditions (two-dimensional, control). Three-dimensional video provided a significant reduction in both pain and unpleasantness (P < .01) compared with the control condition in the male group. However, in the female group, there was a significant reduction in unpleasantness with two-dimensional video compared with the control (P < .05). This suggests that the use of distraction by means of video glasses is able to reduce the perceived intensity of pain and unpleasantness.
Bentsen
B
B
University of Aarhus Denmark, Royal Dental College, Department of Oral Radiology, Vennelyst Boulevard 8, DK-8000 Arhus C, Denmark. bbentsen@odont.au.dk
Svensson
P
P
Wenzel
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014741:Video Recording; D014867:Water
D014867:Water